PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Aug 16: East Singhbhum legislator Saryu Roy on Monday objected to the closure of the Jubilee Park Road by Jusco, a Tata Steel subsidiary that looks after the upkeep of Steel City.
The legislator, along with his supporters rushed to the park today after being informed that a drop gate has been set up near the entrance of the park and that grass laying work was carried out on some stretches of the road.
After entering the park his supporters and the legislator himself started taking off the grass.
The legislator looked visibly disturbed when he was informed that still visitors, mostly morning walkers are asked to produce identity proof before entering the park.
” The Jubilee Park Road is meant for facilitating smooth traffic. It is meant for the use of local residents Why it is closed for such a long time,” questioned the legislator objecting to any construction on that road that passes through the green lungs.
The Jubilee Park Road that passes along the scenic Jayanti Sarovar was closed in March this year during the second wave of Covid.
Though the state government while relaxing the lockdown restrictions last month had allowed re-opening of parks but Jubilee Park was yet to open for common visitors
State health minister Banna Gupta alongwith deputy commissioner of East Singhbhum Suraj Kumar and Jusco authorities had visited the park last month and had allowed entry of only morning and evening walkers.
It was made mandatory for those entering the park to show their identity, preferably Aadhaar Card.
But, last week the district administration allowed entry to the park without any identity proof but Jusco continued to check the identity of the morning walkers which irked the legislator.
The identity of morning and evening walkers was asked so that it would help in contact tracing in case of detection of any Covid positive case in the park.
But, since the Covid situation was continuously improving with one or two cases being reported daily, the norm of showing identity proof while entering the park was relaxed.