Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike not allowed in Freedom Park

BANGALORE: In a clear case of government agencies working at cross purposes, a team of BBMP officials who were conducting soil testing at Freedom Park for a proposed underground multi-level parking lot were chased out by policemen on duty.
"Our policemen had been deployed on regular duty at Freedom Park where protests and agitations are a matter of routine.But today we were surprised to see men digging earth and we had no prior information about any work. So we questioned them," a senior police officer said.
The BBMP officials and showeland pickaxe-wielding labourers were sent out of the park.
The police officer said that BBMP was not obligated to inform police of its proposed works but it does help if they are kept in the loop.
The soil testing work had in fact started a fortnight ago but had to be stopped in view of a Jain festival. "Today when our assistant executive engineer went there to collect soil samples, Upparpet police thought we had started constructing the parking complex and raised objection. Once I was told about the problem, I called up the police station and spoke to the DCP about it," said ML Munikrishna , chief engineer (markets).
The Rs 80.12-crore underground multi-level parking lot was part of the original plan for Freedom Park, which was put up in place of the erstwhile Central Jail. In fact, the project proposal was reiterated by the BBMP when it announced multi-level parking complexes at Malleswaram, Gandhibazaar and KR Market.
Freedom Park was the only venue to have an underground parking complex, while it was to be above ground at the three other places. However, none of the projects was taken up by the civic body in view of its perilous finances.
The issue cropped up at a BBMP council meeting on March 28. Yeshwantpur corproator Munirathna Naidu had objected to the proposal, saying: "The project cost has escalated and provides parking facility for only 426 cars."
BBMP commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda had said that the issue had been discussed with the state finance department and the cost estimates would be re-worked . He had also said that the new proposal will be brought before the council.
What is it?
Freedom Park, located on Seshadri Road, is the Hyde Park of Bangalore, as it is the venue for protests and agitations. The park was inaugurated in 2008 and was built in the place of the erstwhile Central Jail. The original plan for the Freedom Park had also envisaged a multi-level underground parking complex at the site. To be built in one corner of the park abutting Gandhinagar, the parking complex was to be designed in such a way as it was not to be visible from outside and the park surface would seamlessly blend with the top of the underground facility.
Lights are back at Russell Market
Bangalore Electric Supply Company (Bescom) authorities late on Friday evening restored power supply to the Russell Market, the 85-year-old landmark structure, which had been going without electricity ever since it was gutted in a blaze on Februrary 25. The Times of India had in these columns on April 9 reported that Bescom had disconnected power to the entire market, forcing vendors to conduct business under gas and emergency lights.