Hyderabad: In what brings bad tidings to morning walkers in the city, especially the late risers, the GHMC has cut down one hour’s time for them at seven parks including Imliban Park, Indira Park, K. Laxminarayana Yadav Park, Jalagam Vengal Rao Park, Chacha Nehru Park, Krishna Kant Park and A.S. Rao Nagar Park.
It has also decided to charge visitors Rs 10,000 for carrying cameras inside the parks. This apart, the corporation has said it has the right to send anyone out of the park if they caused inconvenience to visitors — which was stated to be bringing in moral policing in a fresh guise.
In August, the management of Indira Park in Hyderabad’s Domalguda erected a banner stating that unmarried couples were not allowed entry. After the picture of the poster surfaced on social media platforms, and many users criticised the move, the management took it down. The civic body officials at that time had stated that the banner was put up by junior officers.
In the latest measure, however, the GHMC officials, without defining the nature of inconvenience, said in tender documents inviting contractors to maintain the parks: "Any activity which will cause inconvenience to visitors to the park will not be allowed."
In the fresh tenders, the GHMC is restricting time for morning walkers from 5 am to 8 am, against 5 am to 9 am earlier when they were allowed entry without a fee.
In the tenders, the corporation has proposed collecting an entry fee of Rs 10 from 8 am to 7.30 pm. It collects Rs 10 from those above 12 years of age, Rs 2 from children aged 5 to 12 years.
The corporation has decided to charge Rs 10,000 for carrying cameras, whereas the special chief secretary and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) commissioner waived the same at major parks including NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park and Sanjeevaiah Park in October this year.
A GHMC official, requesting anonymity, said the camera fee waiver was only to HMDA parks and GHMC would continue charging for cameras. He made it clear that the corporation would throw out not only couples but also any person who the management thinks was causing inconvenience to others. On cutting d
