KARACHI, Aug 11: Ban on operation of rides and swings in Aladin Amusement Park will be lifted as soon as the company starts implementing its agreement with the CDGK (former the KMC) in letter and in spirit , a member of the CDGK's inquiry committee told Dawn on Wednesday.

The City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, had initially imposed Section 144 Cr PC on July 28, prohibiting the operation of the park's rides, swings, swimming pools and water slides after receiving a report from a four-member committee which was formed to probe the causes of deaths of three children in the park. The ban on swings and rides was further extended on Aug 5 for another seven days by the then acting Nazim, Tariq Hassan.

"Although the CDGK has, so far, been deprived of a huge revenue received by the company from execution of sub-lease of its shopping mall, having over 300 shops, the City Nazim's foremost priority is to ensure safety of thousands of people visiting the park daily and the moment the Nazim is convinced that proper safety measures have been taken, he will not waste no time in lifting the ban because realises the fact that there is a dearth of recreational facilities in the city," a member of the enquiry committee, Qazi Sadruddin, also chairman of the CDGK's community development committee, said.

"The city nazim will not hesitate in lifting the ban the moment the park's management provides the fitness certificates of all the rides and swings, give a reasonable compensation to families of the victims," he said, adding the company had also been asked to make proper fire-fighting arrangements, appoint two doctors - one male and a female, besides ensuring availability of an ambulance at the park premises.

He said that as far as issue relating to the CDGK's income from the park is concerned, it can be discussed later on and dealt with separately with the park's management.

He deplored that a considerable time had elapsed since the park's management was asked to inform the CDGK that how many fatal accidents have, so far, occurred in the past, mentioning reasons, thereof, and whether any compensation was made to the bereaved families and what precautionary measures had been taken in the wake of such incidents. The CDGK has not yet heard any thing in this regard, he said.

Subscribing to the views of Mr Sadruddin, another member of the inquiry committee, Khalifa Anwar Ahmed, said the Aladin Park, spreading over 50 acres of land, was given on lease of 25 years to Ms Joyland for setting up a recreational park following an agreement signed on May 30, 1995, between the owners of the land (defunct KMC) and the company.

However, an addendum was made in March 1998, whereby the share of income from amusements should not in any case be less than five per cent of total income of Rs 5 per entrant whichever is higher (the income from commercial area, mela, membership, etc, shall be dealt with separately as per agreement and addendum.

One of the clauses of the agreement says: "25 per cent of all revenue received by the company from the execution of sub-lease (as referred to in Article 3) be deposited to KMC and 10 per cent of security deposit so received shall be deposited with the KMC which shall not be refundable."

One of the major objections raised by the inquiry committee is that although the company as per agreement was permitted to use five per cent of the total land for commercial purposes such as food outlets, gift, books and souvenir shops and two banks, the company had sold the shops on sub-lease basis in its shopping mall who are running cloth and shoes businesses.

"We do not even know that how much the company has charged for selling the shops on sub-lease although under the agreement it was mandatory upon the company to assess the market rates of the shops along with an officer of the CDGK prior to selling them on sub-lease basis," he added.

MANAGEMENT's VERSION: A senior official of the park's management, on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that they have already provided fitness certificates about the rides and swings to a member of the inquiry committee.

Accusing the CDGK of delaying the matter of re-opening the park's rides and swings on one pretext or the other, he said that the park is the largest entertainment facility in the country as it is visited by more than three million people every year.

He said that the management has, so far, invested Rs 350 million, for providing more than 36 rides, swimming pools and other thrilling state-of-the-art facilities at the park and as such the value of the park's land which belongs to the CDGK had risen by least 10 times.

He regretted that although around 40,000 people visit the park on a Sunday alone, the park management is not provided any assistance from any security agencies while on the contrary whenever there is a cricket match at the National Stadium, all police officials and mobiles of the city are deputed at the stadium.

"Although the park management had paid more than Rs34 million to the CDGK during July 2003 and June 2004, the CDGK thinks that the yearly revenue is much lower as compared to what actually the management is getting and are involved in corruption at all levels," he said, adding "the CDGK also accuses the company of massive bungling, theft and misappropriation of funds, besides accusing the company of evading billions of rupees revenue of the CDGK in connivance with the CDGK's staff.

He said that "getting fed up with such allegations, the management has proposed to the CDGK that whatever the CDGK is getting should be given as the yearly share of the park and the CDGK should operate the park by itself or through a third party which may be inducted as operators of the park so that the CDGK becomes the lessor and the company becomes the lessee and the third party becomes the operator."

Asked about the strength of employees of the park, he said there were in all 350 employees, but the management had laid off the services of 172 employees following the sealing of rides and swings because the park has been deserted after the imposition of ban on rides and swings.

"In fact, the management with a view to saving the park is prepared to hand over the project to the CDGK if an independent evaluation of the project is undertaken," he added.