View-blockers removed from Kolkata Park, the venue for Mamata Banerjee’s morning walk

Kolkata, Aug 6 (IANS) Following the order of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, view-blockers have been removed from a popular public park in central Kolkata, which was the venue for previous CM Mamata Banerjee’s morning walk, from Thursday.

CM Adhikari posted a message on his social media account, also attaching comparative pictures of Elliot Park before and now.

While one set of pictures shows tin fences erected around the park before, the other set shows the park with view-blockers removed. In his social media post, CM Adhikari has also indirectly criticised his predecessor but without directly naming her.

“The natural beauty, greenery, and picturesque views of Elliott Park in the Maidan had, until now, been completely hidden from ordinary people by a high tin fence on the side facing Chowringhee Road. This was done so that an honourable dignitary in the previous regime would not be seen by the general public when she used to go for her morning walk there,” the Chief Minister said in his social media post.

Claiming that the natural beauty and picturesque view of greenery in Elliot Park have once again been opened to the general public from Thursday morning, the Chief Minister also thanked the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for taking the initiative to remove the view-blocking tin fence.

“The wealth of the people should remain open for the people,” the Chief Minister added.

The decision of the previous administration to erect a view-blocking high tin fence around the perimeter of Elliot Park, cutting off visual access from the surrounding roads, received massive criticism from morning walkers, common people and members of civil society at that point in time.

They claimed that the tin barricade completely ruined the open aesthetic view of the park and also deprived the common people of the park’s greenery. Now the decision to remove those view-blocking tin fences has been welcomed by the common people, especially the morning walkers.

–IANS

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