Repair work underway at Rajendra Maidan in Kochi on Tuesday. Once opened, the facility will be made available for public events as before. , Photo Credit: Tulsi Kakkat
After being stripped of its rightful place in Kochi’s cultural and political landscape for an ill-advised laser show, Rajendra Maidan, a sacred and historic public space owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), has been razed to the ground very quickly. reinstated in his high post. The facility will be thrown open to the general public later this month.
Landscaping work is in the final stages, and the priority is to open it to the public on February 14, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. However, a final decision is likely to be taken in a day or two after reviewing the work, which was launched less than a month ago.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) opposed this saying that the laser show equipment could not be removed as it was to be seized as evidence in a case registered against it. Show at Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court. The GCDA complied and also allotted a room to the probe agency at its Kaloor International Stadium where it currently resides, for safekeeping of evidence.
“The cost of the restoration work is around ₹95 lakh. The goal is to restore as much greenery as possible and reduce tile work to a minimum. The pond dug in the grounds for the laser show has been filled and made a part of the lawn. A new toilet has also been installed while the already existing open platform has been remodeled,” said sources in the GCDA.
Once opened, Rajendra Maidan will be available for public events like before. In fact, the idea is to make it a preferred venue for cultural festivals on the lines of Changampuzha Park in Edapally. However, in the case of Changampuzha Park, the decision to allow free access or charge a nominal fee will be left to the GCDA’s executive committee.
On 25 October 2014, the Rajendra Maidan was closed to the public by the then Governing Council of the GCDA and converted into a venue for a paid laser show. But it proved to be an unmitigated disaster as it pulled down the shutters after two years in December 2016. In that short period, it caused a huge loss of ₹3.44 crore to the GCDA, while only a marginal loss of ₹28 lakh in ticket revenue, a Right to Information Act application revealed.
Attempts to restart the show were not successful, as by that time, a vigilance case had been registered, and the technology itself was too old to offer public viewings matching the standards of modern times. was incapacitated