No funds for Mughal garden

Pune Municipal Corporation's ambitious Rs 2.25 crore project put on the back burner till the next budget; will be ready only by June 2010

No funds for Mughal garden

Pune Municipal Corporation's ambitious Rs 2.25 crore project put on the back burner till the next budget; will be ready only by June 2010

After boasting of completing the unique Japanese garden in a record time of eight months, the PMC is struggling with the grand plans of the Mughal garden because of "lack of funds".

The Mughal Garden, which is in the same premise at Pu La Deshpande Garden, will probably take another eight months to complete the work.

Punekars are quite disappointed because most of them were looking forward to visiting the renovated garden during winter. "The announcement of the Mughal garden was such an ambitious plan that we are quite disappointed that nothing has been done so far," said Anjali Kulkarni, the local resident.

Last year, the PMC had announced that the Mughal garden will be created on the lines of the Shalimar garden in Kashmir. And the work started in November last year with a lot of gusto.

Work in progress
"In fact, we were told that the project would be completed by Diwali this year," said Neeta Raut, a resident of the area. "Even the entrance gate of the Pu La Deshpande Garden is yet to be completed," she said.

Talking to MiD DAY, Bhanudas Mane, Garden Superintendent, PMC, said, "We have spent Rs 1.65 crore and are waiting for the remaining Rs 60 lakh. Since the budget has not yet arrived, we are unsure as to when the project will be completed."

Incidentally, the previous Japanese Garden project was completed on the date it was originally planned.

Devram Pandit, Junior Engineer, Garden Department, PMC, said that the work can only accelerate if we get the required Rs 60 lakh. So far, we have almost completed the Mughal Pavilion. In addition, work on the pathway and compound wall is in progress," he said.

According to him, creating streams, landscaping, planting flowers and fountain network are yet to be completed. "We are expecting the Mughal Garden to be functional by June 2010," he said.

"The design of entrance gate and the adjoining Kala Gram (Artisans Village) are ready but we are waiting for funds from the PMC," he said.