KOLKATA: The civic corporation may not have the money to buy pumps to keep the streets dry this monsoon, but the mayor has forked out Rs 5 crore in a jiffy to beautify the park where chief minister Mamata Banerjee takes her evening walks.

The KMC is taking over Elliot Park from the Tata Group , which transformed a garbage dump into perhaps the best-maintained park in the city in 2004. Inaugurated by former CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee , the park is very popular with walkers and those looking for a quiet time. It’s a favourite of Mamata too. She takes her evening walks on the 2km jogger’s track but the broken pathway bothered her. When she spoke about this to her security detail recently, it quickly reached police commissioner Surajit Kar Purakayastha ears and he called a meeting of the stakeholders on July 12.

Tata officials promised to repair the broken pathway, but the police chief went a step ahead and suggested that KMC take over the park, say sources. Municipal commissioner Khalil Ahmed jumped at the proposal and Elliot Park changed hands.

KMC is already working on a Rs 5 crore beautification plan to make the CM’s evening walk smooth. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee confirmed the takeover. “A detailed project report is being prepared for the beautification,” he said. A special task force has been set up under Ahmed to expedite the revamp. KMC will redo the pathway, change the landscaping and plant Mamata’s favourite trees. Sources say the CM wants to also ‘reform’ the three waterbodies in the park and wants all the fish removed — she fears the big fish will eat up the smaller ones. Civic officials aren’t quite sure how to go about the last bit.

Nearby park in shambles

Gardeners on the KMC payroll are working on the site under a botanist to pick the right variety of fruit-bearing plants and saplings to attract birds and butterflies. The civic body is keen to fence off the entire area for the sake of the Z-plus VVIP, though the Maidan belongs to the Army.

The park won’t be out of bounds to the public, KMC officials assured, but entry will be restricted. Morning walkers will have access from 5am to 7.30am. In the afternoon, the gates will be thrown open from 1pm to 5pm, closing an hour before the CM comes for her walk.

The KMC’s sudden proactiveness has surprised a section of park officials. Barely a kilometre away, KMC’s own Citizen’s Park lies unkempt. The musical fountain and decorative lights that were a hit with tourists have been switched off because the corporation can’t afford the electricity. The civic body says it doesn’t have fund for development projects. But money doesn’t seem to be a problem in beautifying the CM’s favourite park.

