Mangaluru: Residents are gearing up to protest Friday after the only public playground in Krishna Nagar, Bondel, Marakada village, Mangaluru, was allotted to health department. They said the 60-cent ground has been used for cultural, social and community activities for 30 years. They want it retained as a playground, and the land record changed at the earliest.At a press conference Thursday, Sarvajanika Maidana Horata Samiti president Srinivas Salian said the land continues to be recorded in the RTC as property of Dakshina Kannada district health department. Several representations were made when the land was earmarked for a health centre, but authorities did not respond to residents’ demand to retain it as a public ground, he said.He said an RTI reply revealed that the govt allotted 48 cents near the playground to Ayush department, but no development work has been taken up there in the past four years.Another resident, Salim, said the playground is the only open space for nearly 600 houses in the locality. He said the govt has the powers to retain land if no development is taken up on sanctioned land for over two years. Hence, the land allotted to Ayush department may be handed over to health department, and the playground notified as a public place, he said.He added that the deputy commissioner and tahsildar should immediately act to protect the playground and provide infrastructure for children’s sports and recreation.
