February 17, 2003	Monday	Zul Hijjah 15, 1423

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PESHAWAR, Feb 16: The city district government has leased out the historic Shahi Bagh Park for 10 years to a private party, after facing difficulty in rehabilitating the park from its resources, officials said.

The district government has planned to lease out two more recreational sites, the Chacha Younus Park and the Aasia Park.

“The government has no resources for the rehabilitation of parks, which have deteriorated due to lack of maintenance,” said Town-I Nazim Haroon Bilour.

He said the district government was holding negotiations with private groups to give the Chacha Younus Park and Aasia Park on lease.

Officials said the district government had given the Shahi Bagh Park, sprawling over 300 kanals, to a Lahore-based group for 10 years on lease for Rs1.6 million per year.

Under the agreement, the investor would establish playland, artificial beach, water rides, shooting gallery, waterfalls, zoo and restaurants, besides providing other recreational facilities to the visitors, an official told Dawn.

He said green belts would be constructed over 40 per cent of the area, while the remaining portion of the park had been allocated for playland and other recreational activities.

It has been decided that Chacha Younus Park will be reserved for families.

The rehabilitation and renovation work at the Shahi Bagh Park was likely to be completed in a year and the district government had authorized the investor to charge entry fee from visitors, sources said.

The area of the Shahi Bagh Park, formerly called Nazar Bagh, was around 600 kanals but many departments have encroached upon the area.

The area now houses Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, a football ground, a degree college, Gymkhana club and offices of the local government department.

Due to lack of maintenance, the city’s parks have lost their attraction, although the defunct Peshawar Development Authority and Peshawar Municipal Corporation spent millions of rupees on their renovation and maintenance.