Kadri Park to have permanent solar lights, toy train delayed
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Jan 21, 2016 : Permanent lighting at Kadri Park with use of solar energy is in the offing as two nationalised banks have come forward to sponsor the lights, according to P.I. Sreevidya, Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat. A variety of flowers have been artistically arranged at the ongoing floriculture and horticultural show at Kadri Parkin Mangaluru on Jan 20, Wednesday.
CEO Sreevidya told media at the park that Karnataka Bank had come forward to contribute Rs. 10 lakh and the SyndicateBank Rs. 5 lakh. What remains to be decided now is the number of lights that can be installed in the park, she said.
Vijaya Bank had agreed to donate Rs. 5 lakh for building a gazebo structure (a shelter) at the park. Meanwhile, an official of the Department of Horticulture said that a high mast light from Mahaveera Circle would soon be shifted to the centre of the park.
It would be installed after the four-day horticulture and floricultural show ends on January 26. According to official information, a new entrance gate of the park, erected at an estimated cost of Rs. 28 lakh, would be inaugurated on February 22 at 3 p.m. The fund for the project had been drawn from the area development fund of J R Lobo, MLA, Mangaluru City South. Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada B. Ramanath Rai will inaugurate the gate, the release said.
Toy train unlikely to be back : The toy train at Kadri Park, which has been off the track since for more than two years, is unlikely to be back this year. So far, if the focus was only on getting a new train, now it has also covered replacing the existing track which required additional fund. Department of Women and Child Welfare here, which is in-charge of the operations of the train still required Rs. 38.52 lakhs, in addition to Rs. 37.54 lakh released by the State government. It was nine months ago that the State released funds for purchasing a new train as the existing one was out of order.
According to Sundara Poojary, Deputy Director, Department of Women and Child Welfare, the existing track, which is 1.5 ft wide, would have to be removed for laying a two ft wide track as the railways had informed that they would manufacture the train, which would ply only on two-ft-wide track. As per an estimate prepared by the railways Rs. 23.46 lakh was required for replacing the track. In addition, Rs. 12.06 lakh was required as the manufacturing cost of the train had gone up when compared to the estimated made more than a year ago. Once manufactured, the transportation cost of the train from Mysuru to the park, had been estimated at Rs. 3 lakh.