Ashok Raina
Kangra, July 20
An amusement park, developed in 2006 at a cost of Rs 30 lakh on the bank of Manooni Dam on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway in Matour, has been lying unsued.
On December 18, 2006, then Tourism and Transport Minister GS Bali had laid the foundation stone of the park.
Bali said it was his dream project and the Tourism Department had spent a huge sum on it. The Bamboo Commission of India had provided free bamboos for the project.
Bali said it pained him to see how public money had gone down the drain and the park developed in the name of Chaudhary Hari Ram was in a state of neglect.
The project was of Rs 45 lakh for which Rs 30 lakh was spent by the department.
Nirmal Singh, pradhan, Matour panchayat, said the park was not completed. He alleged that the adjacent government land had been encroached upon. The wild growth dots the place.
"There is no one to look after the park. It has become a den for anti-social elements," the pradhan said.
Residents want a probe into the matter. They said the park should be completed and maintained by the government.
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Caption : Chaudhary Hari Ram Children Park in Matour. Photo by writer
