Ram Bagh controversy refuses to die down

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 24

The controversy that has erupted over the handing over of the Children’s Park and Zoo in the historic Ram Bagh to a private amusement park firm refuses to die down.

The Local Bodies minister while talking to media has justified the privatisation of the historic garden, adding that the Municipal Corporation has authorised the Amritsar Improve Trust for this. On the other hand, the mayor, Bakshi Ram Arora, and the Municipal Commissioner, Sonali Giri, have denied it.

Ironically, the Archaeological Survey of India has maintained a stoic silence over of the issue. The Ram Bagh, also known as the Company Bagh, was declared a monument of national importance in October 2004. The ASI was in possession of four monuments on the premises of the garden while other structures were being maintained by the Punjab Heritage Tourism Board.

Arora while talking to the Amritsar Tribune pointed out that it was mandatory to pass a resolution in the MC House before taking such decisions and it was for sure that no resolution was passed even in the past several years to hand over the heritage garden to the Improvement Trust.

He said the MC was maintaining the historic garden which houses the Darbar Hall of Maharaja Ranjit Singh besides other heritage structures. He said an agreement was reached only to maintain and develop the Ram Bagh and not to hand it over in private hands for commercial purposes.

Giri said the MC was the custodian of the Ram Bagh and it could never hand over the garden in private hands.

Improvement Trust chairman Suresh Mahajan said the MC had given an NoC during the tenure of former Commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal. However, it was only for carrying out development works and not for transferring it in private hands for a commercial purpose. He confirmed that the trust has reached an agreement with a private company and Rs 25 lakh as security was deposited with the trust. He said the Local Bodies ministry had given its nod for the purpose. Now the MC had raised an objection over it and we were going to seek further directions from the Punjab Government in this connection.

Local Bodies minister Anil Joshi and ASI official Bhanupartap Singh could not be contacted for comments even after repeated attempts.