Malu Kerni
Many parks were made by J and K Housing Board Department in Green Belt area Gandhi Nagar, Shivaji Chowk (just opposite to RBI) and a similar park was made in Channi Himmat for morning/evening walkers and children but it is very surprising and shocking that the concerned department had recently stuck a poster on the wall of the Green Belt Park in Channi Himmat with a notice: ‘It is not a playground, playing game is strictly prohibited. any body found playing shall be prosecuted.’
The question arises for whom does notice is being pasted here? Is it for the children who come to play and have fun here during evening hours?
The park has slides, amusements rides and swings in it and it is very obvious that these are for children and not just a show-piece installed in the park. The presence of these slides and swings say out loud that the park is for children also and children are allowed there to play.
However, it seems that just to serve some influential person living in the area, the JK Housing Board had stuck such posters on the walls of the park completely prohibiting children from playing. For over two weeks, these posters on the walls of the parks have remained and have been elemental in preventing children from having fun in the said park.
We really wonder if these parks are meant for the influential personalities of the area and general public especially the children are prohibited to enter and play for what are these swings and slides doing in the park??
It is very unfortunate that instead of taking care of the cleanliness and providing basic facilities in the park, children are being prevented from playing.
The park has become a private property of some influential’s residing in the area as few months back a similar case in which seniors officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board Unit -I lifted benches fixed in the Green Belt Park for morning and evening walkers to appease influential residents and the VVIPs.
Resting benches were the only basic amenity available to the common residents in the park but irresponsible behaviour on the part of senior Housing board officials deprived the morning/evening walkers of their basic amenity and now this silly notice is another feather in the cap of Housing Board.
It is also pertinent to mention here that the JK Housing Board which is busy is pasting these silly notices have forgotten to keep a check on the drunkards that can easily be seen here during the evening hours. Notices need to be issued against such stuff and not prohibiting children from playing in the Park.
