Paithan Garden to reopen for visitors

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Here is good news for the nature-lovers and citizens as the state Department of Tourism (DoT) has sanctioned an aid of Rs 10 crore for the development of Sant Dnyaneshwar Udyan at Paithan. The region’s biggest garden was closed to visitors for the past many years.

Meanwhile, after receiving the letter regarding funds, the office of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) invited two tenders valuing Rs 6.35 crore.

The garden comes is under the custodianship of the Department of Water Resources (DoWR), but due to myriad reasons, the garden was lying in a pitiable condition. There was demand from the visitors to revive and re-open the garden. Taking cognizance of the demand, the then Maha Vikas Aghadi decided to maintain the garden. Later on, the office was directed to appoint a project management consultant (PMC) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR). The presentation was also made before the chief minister, but things did not materialise. However, the guardian minister Sandeepan Bhumre took up the proposal and urged the CM to grant the fund on priority as the appointment of PMC, preparing DPR and inviting tenders is a time-consuming process.

Hence the CM ordered the DoT to sanction Rs 10 crore for the garden. DoT also sent a letter to the CADA office stating that administrative approval has been granted for the fund. "The CADA office invited a tender valuing Rs 3.75 crore to revive the functioning of all fountains in the garden and Rs 2.60 crore for the construction of internal roads. The work to revive and re-open the garden has been started. The repairing works will also start soon," said the CADA chief engineer Jayant Gaoli.