<div>Members of Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association (CPWA) on Saturday opposed the Horticulture Department’s decision to construct a glass house like the one in Lalbagh, in the park. <br /><br />Addressing a press conference on Saturday, president of the association S Umesh said: “We learnt from the department officials about the construction of a glass house at a cost Rs 10 crore. The government has already sanctioned Rs 2 crore to the Horticulture Department for the project. The park has shrunk from 192 acres to 100 acres in the last few years owing to building encroachments. We do not want another structure to come up.”<br /><br />Murali, another member, said the park was choked with buildings like YMCA, Century Club, KGS Tennis Court, Press Club, Bal Bhavan, Karnataka Government Insurance Department and the Secretariat Club. CPWA, which filed an RTI recently to get details about building violations in the park, said the Horticulture Department had violated the Karnataka Park Preservation Act, 1975, by allowing more than 10 structures in the park. <br /><br />Retired judge of the High Court M F Saldanha, who was present at the presser, said he had earlier approached Upa Lokayukta Subhash B Adi and suggested demolition of structures. “But I was told to resolve the issue at the government level,” he added. <br /><br />Nalina Jain, another CPWA member, said if the parks continue to get encroached upon at such a pace, then a time would come when citizens will have to buy oxygen. CPWA members also alleged that the department was planning to construct two gates at the park at a cost of Rs 1.8 crore. They said the project was unnecessary and would be a burden on the state exchequer. <br /><br />The association plans to file a public interest litigation in the High Court against the Lokayukta, the Principal Secretary of the Horticulture Department and the Horticulture Department officials.<br /></div>
<div>Members of Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association (CPWA) on Saturday opposed the Horticulture Department’s decision to construct a glass house like the one in Lalbagh, in the park. <br /><br />Addressing a press conference on Saturday, president of the association S Umesh said: “We learnt from the department officials about the construction of a glass house at a cost Rs 10 crore. The government has already sanctioned Rs 2 crore to the Horticulture Department for the project. The park has shrunk from 192 acres to 100 acres in the last few years owing to building encroachments. We do not want another structure to come up.”<br /><br />Murali, another member, said the park was choked with buildings like YMCA, Century Club, KGS Tennis Court, Press Club, Bal Bhavan, Karnataka Government Insurance Department and the Secretariat Club. CPWA, which filed an RTI recently to get details about building violations in the park, said the Horticulture Department had violated the Karnataka Park Preservation Act, 1975, by allowing more than 10 structures in the park. <br /><br />Retired judge of the High Court M F Saldanha, who was present at the presser, said he had earlier approached Upa Lokayukta Subhash B Adi and suggested demolition of structures. “But I was told to resolve the issue at the government level,” he added. <br /><br />Nalina Jain, another CPWA member, said if the parks continue to get encroached upon at such a pace, then a time would come when citizens will have to buy oxygen. CPWA members also alleged that the department was planning to construct two gates at the park at a cost of Rs 1.8 crore. They said the project was unnecessary and would be a burden on the state exchequer. <br /><br />The association plans to file a public interest litigation in the High Court against the Lokayukta, the Principal Secretary of the Horticulture Department and the Horticulture Department officials.<br /></div>