Residents up in arms as MC leases out Public park to set up Pvt Cafe

The cash-strapped district administration has started leasing out public parks to private cafes, drawing criticism from locals.

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Park land worth crores has been given for seven years on lease to a private company to raise and run a cafeteria in Model Town area despite opposition. Local residents rued not being consulted or briefed about any such plan. "Suddenly machines started digging a portion of the park that also faces the main road. When we bought these plots from the government, we paid an extra premium as they were park facing. Now suddenly the Municipal Corporation (MC) decided that there would be a café inside the park", they say, adding, "The civic body's role is to extend facilities to residents and not accommodate private firms". Talking to The Tribune, Model Town resident Pardeep Bajwa alleged that some officials with active connivance leased the road facing chunk of park land for seven years to a pr