BEAUTY OF RAMANA MAIDAN IS BEING SPOILED DUE TO STRAY ANIMALS AND SETTING UP OF MAKESHIPFT SHOPS AROUND IT

BEAUTY OF RAMANA MAIDAN IS BEING SPOILED DUE TO STRAY ANIMALS AND SETTING UP OF MAKESHIPFT SHOPS AROUND IT

24-OCT-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------------Beautification of historical Ramana Maidan was done with the estimated cost of about Rs. 22 crore provided by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)at the direction of former MP from Ara and former Union Energy Minister, Raj Kumar Singh but it has become grazing ground for cattle and strayed animals due to indifferent attitude of the officials concerned. The beauty of the Ramana Maidan is tarnished and the anti-social elements are breaking the gates made with a purpose to prevent stray animals from entering the field. The contractor is to maintain the field for five years but he is also not paying heed to it.

An open space is made available in every town so that residents of the area may take shelter there at the time natural calamity such as earthquake, flood and others and Ara town has also a field, named as Ramana Maidan, in the heart of the town and this historical Ramana Maidan got fame during the freedom struggle when patriots and freedom fighters had meetings and rallies. Even hundreds of young boys and girls play different outdoor games here and some schools of the town were allotted a portion of the field to felicitate the students of the schools to practice outdoor games like football. But with passing of time, all such activities are vanished and the Ramana Maidan has become victim of encroachment in the name of temples, mazar, college, school, lavatory, motorcycle stand, Nagari Pracharini Sabha and Ram Leela illegally. Though the Bhojpur district administration had allotted some portions of the field on lease to them but their lease has expired years ago. These illegal structures were not removed even after the order of the Patna High Court. Surprisingly, former Ara MP R K Sijngh had allotted fund to the illegally constructed temple for encroachment and the local MLA had allotted fund for the construction of footpath around the Ramana Maidan.

In the last couple of years, the former MP R K Singh turned the field into a lawn with the fund of the NTPC in the name of beautification leaving no place for the youth to play.

In spite of all these, the former MP R K Singh had envisaged to provide the historical Ramana Maidan with world class facilities and to bring his dream to the ground, he started beautification of the Ramana Maidan with the estimated cost of about Rs. 22 crore from the fund of the NTPC.  Under this, a beautiful lighting arrangement around the field, Morum running track, walking track with checkered tiles, open air gym, designated play area for children, convenient benches to sit, modern toilets, drinking water, High Mast Light, Gazebo, drainage system to avoid water logging and many other facilities including advanced shorts of pits were to be provided all around though most of the facilities have so far been provided in it and the entire field is covered with green grass.

The beautification work of the Ramana Maidan was divided into five zones. In the first zone, there kids play area, parking arrangements, seating arrangements for the elders and green area were made, in the second zone, grass strips were installed in it, open gym was arranged in the third zone, in the fourth zone, there were facilities like modern toilets, drinking water etc. and in the fifth zone, there were facilities of playing Volleyball, cemented umbrella etc.

Besides, arrangements were made to prevent stray animals from entering the field. Gates and barriers were installed on all sides. The gates were arranged in such a way that people could come inside the field but animals could not enter. Owing to this, anti-social elements were facing a log to problems. The animals were not being taken inside and so the gates were broken and as a result, a large number of cattle, stray dogs and donkeys are allowed to enter the field. They are grazing grass and thus damaging greenery of the field and they also hurting people coming to the field to spend some time or merry making.

It is noteworthy here that the gates of the same place were broken again and again. Earlier, the local MLA Amrendra Pratap Singh had made walking track around the Ramana Maidan and gate was also made to prevent stray animals but the gate was broken from the side of the Mahavir temple and Ramaleela Maidan. Same is the situation this time also. A gate was also installed this time at the time of beautification of the field at that place to prevent stray animals from entering the field but this time too the gate was broken.

In addition to all these, the beauty of the Ramana Maidan is being spoiled due to setting of makeshift shops in large number around the field. The Ara Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Traffic Police launched anti-encroachment drive and removed almost all the makeshift shops around the Ramana Maidan to maintain beauty of the field and also to maintain smooth flow of traffic but the recalcitrant makeshift shop owners once again set up their shops there.