Gender park to be functional in one month

ALAPPUZHA: Gender Park will become fully functional after ten months since its formal inauguration in a month.  The multi-crore facility that G. Sudhakaran the then Ambalappuzha legislator opened on September 15 was in limbo for technical reasons. The district panchayat, which blames it on the assembly elections, is now confident to open the facility to the public in a month.  “It was opened without formulating rules and regulations. Therefore a by-law has to be finalised,” its president G. Venugopal said.

The project was conceived in 2012 and executed after three years of mud-slinging between the CPI and CPI-M on the acquisition of land. The controversy erupted after CPI leader and then district panchayat vice-president Thampi Mettuthara alleged corruption against then president Pratibha Hari in the deal with a private party.

It bought 60 cents of land and 4300 sq ft building at a rate higher than the district collector’s estimated rate.  The row came to an end after state level leaders of both parties intervened. Apart from the accommodation facility, a recreation club, a well-equipped library and internet services are also part of it. The project had also envisioned a catering service to serve Kerala food, especially Kuttanadan cuisines.