CM inspects encroached parks in ex-CM’s para, orders access for all

Kolkata: Chief minister and Bhowanipore MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday evening visited two key public parks in former chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s neighbourhood, flagging what he described as a worrying pattern of encroachment and restricted access in city green spaces. The focus of his inspection was Harish Park, where he examined the condition of the grounds and spoke to KMC officials about restoring the park’s character as an open, public facility for local residents.

According to an official present at Harish Park, Adhikari asked civic officials to ensure that people of the neighbourhood got an opportunity to take part in sports and games without fear. The official said the CM was taken aback by what he was told about the way the park’s use had allegedly been cornered by members of the Banerjee family and their associates, turning a public space into a controlled zone where access depended on political proximity rather than citizenship.

“The CM is particularly upset with the running of a badminton court which had barred the local youths who were not connected with the party,” the KMC official said, indicating that the issue was not merely about maintenance but about exclusion. The court, meant to be a community sporting facility, was cited as an example of how informal control can translate into denial of access for ordinary neighbourhood youths, especially those without links to the ruling party network.

“The CM is particularly upset not only about restricted sporting access, but also about the impact of events that prioritised revenue over ecology. Holding of fairs for commercial gains had also damaged the park ground and its greenery. The CM has instructed us to protect the greenery of Harish Park and all other major parks in 144 KMC wards,” the civic official said, framing the Harish Park visit as part of a broader directive to safeguard public parks across the city.

Adhikari spent around half an hour at Harish Park before moving to Chetla Park, where he inspected public utilities and reviewed how the space was being used by residents. At Chetla Park, another KMC official said Adhikari instructed the civic brass to ensure more citizens from Chetla and its adjacent neighbourhood make the best use of the park,.

Besides Harish Park and Chetla Park, both within his Bhowanipore assembly constituency, Adhikari is also said to be keen to restore Elliot Park in the Maidan area, which was developed as a public-private partnership more than two decades ago.

Later in the evening, Adhikari went to the Borough IX office in Alipore and held a meeting with KMC officials. The meeting was attended by Debalina Biswas, the Trinamool councillor who had resigned as chairperson of the borough after KMC buildings department pasted notices on some prime Abhishek Banerjee property. Asked why she joined, Biswas said it was an administrative meeting. “The CM discussed with us several important civic services. As a councillor, it was my duty to attend the meeting and contribute in whatever manner possible,” she said.

A KMC official said the chief minister sought immediate action on core civic issues. “From water supply to flushing of storm water to parking woes, several important issues were discussed and we were instructed to prepare a roadmap to achieve time-bound results,” the official said.