Chandrababu Naidu Park turns into public toilet

​Chittoor: All the talk of turning Andhra Pradesh into a Singapore notwithstanding, Chandrababu Naidu Park at the Industrial Estate is a blot on the government. In spite of a grand inauguration in 2001 with promises that it would be developed into a model park, today the park is used as a dumping ground and as a public toilet.

The then Information and Public Relations Minister, Dr N Sivaprasad and the present Chittoor MP, had said during the inauguration ceremony that the park would be become into a tourist attraction within two years under the supervision of the Chittoor Notified Industrial Area Service Society.

A decade-and-a half has gone by but none of the authorities have made efforts to develop the park.The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation set aside 4.5 acres of land for developing the park. The APIIC fixed fencing around the upcoming park but there has been no other initiative.

Save for a board at the entrance, there is nothing inside to call it a park. The APICC or the ruling TDP leaders of the district are least interested. For the inaugural function of the park the then District Collector PVSN Murthy, then Municipal Chairperson Chengalraya Naidu, the TDP former Minister P Subbaiah , TDP leaders Manohar, B N Rajasimulu and then Chittoor MLA C K Babu were present.

The residents of the industrial estate too are to be blamed as they throw garbage, said an insider. Speaking to The Hans India APIIC Zonal Manager Muni Ratnam admitted the failures of the department in developing Chandrababu Naidu Park.

“All our efforts for developing the park have turned futile because of non-cooperation of the residents of industrial estate. The granite owners have dumped their waste material in the park. Many of the granite factories are functioning in the surrounding area of the park. We served notices to them but none of them cared to respond,” he said.

He further added that the APIIC is contemplating developing the park with an estimated budget of Rs 10 lakh.
Locals have been complaining how TDP stalwarts of the city like Chittoor MLA D K Satya Prabha, Chittoor MP N Sivaprasad, ZP Chairperson Girvani Chandra Prakash besides District Collector Siddarth Jain failed to identify the worst condition of Chandrababu Naidu Park and take necessary steps for developing it as a park.