KMC revamps abandoned office into Vivekananda Park community centre
Times of India | 30 May 2024
Kolkata: After taking over Vivekananda Park from Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority last Dec, Kolkata Municipal Corporation has renovated an abandoned Kolkata Improvement Trust (KIT) office and turned it into a two-storey community hall.
KMC officials are confident that the community hall will bring relief to the people in the neigbourhood who require a ceremonial house at affordable rent.At present, such facilities in and around the area cost lakhs. “We hope to inaugurate the community hall in the first week of July,” said a civic official.
Local Trinamool Congress councillor Sourav Basu said that considering the high rent structure of ceremonial houses in Southern Avenue and adjoining neighbourhoods, KMC had planned to set up a community hall that residents could rent at an affordable rate. “As a public representative, I have seen the hardship of a section of residents who can’t afford the rent demanded by owners of private ceremonial houses. I hope the new community hall will cater to the needs of residents who depend on govt facilities,” said Basu.
A KMC source said the rent of each floor was yet to be fixed. “We will rent out an entire floor measuring 2,700 sqft for different ceremonial and social purposes. Though the rent is yet to be fixed, we will follow the rent structure of similar KMC-run community halls,” the official said.
KMDA officials said it was the KMC’s proposal to revamp a single-storey structure and build another floor to develop a ward office-cum-community centre. “KMC had requested to renovate the old KIT office which had been abandoned so it could be used as a ward office. According to plans, the ground floor will be used as a ward office and the first floor will be a hall for social and community gatherings,” said a KMDA official.
Officials said work had started around this time last year and it is expected to be completed soon. There will be one large room and a common space to operate the ward office. The interior has been finished and painting on the exterior will be carried out,” said an official. Around Rs 1 crore is being spent on the project.
“Such a community hall is needed for social gatherings. We don’t have a problem with it but there should be no open canteen or cooking,” said environmentalist Somendra Mohan Ghosh, who lives on Sarat Bose Road.