The members put forward the demand in front of the state government to roll back its decision and do not construct any museum inside Central Park.

The Central Park Bachao Sangharsh Samiti on Tuesday started a two-day signature campaign to protest against the Jaipur Development Authority’s (JDA) move to demolish the historic Laxmi Vilas Hotel and construct a new building in its place for the proposed Gandhi museum.

The samiti claimed, on the first day more than 800 people participated in the campaign and expressed that JDA should not utilize taxpayers’ money to construct Rs 100-cr museum after razing the existing building. Rather, it should be utilised for public.

The banner of the samiti read ‘Mai Central Park, Mujhe Central Park he rahene do’. People from all walks of life including regular morning walkers, environmentalists, and residents who are not favoring the government’s move have signed during the campaign.

The members put forward the demand in-front of the state government to roll back its decision and do not construct any museum inside the Central Park.

Samiti presiden, Yogesh Yadav said, “The successive government are providing benefit to influential after acquiring land in the name of public utility. At present, nearly 256 bigha of public land has been utilised by the club authority. The entire government land is 322 bigha, out of which Central Park has been developed on 66 bighas. Most land is under the club’s possession with no government control. More establishments such as museums will tamper the sanity of the city’s biggest park.”

As thousands of morning walkers and joggers come to Central Park daily and the number is increasing steadily, the protester’s claims, that land should be reserved for expansion or existing building should be dedicated to public.

Marudhar Singh, opposing the move said, “Museum in the park makes no sense. If the government want to benefit the public, it should develop the existing building into a fitness centre. Taxpayers’ money should be utilised thinking twice, and not wasted. Moreover, Central Park length or breadth should be increased as the number of walkers have increased with times.”

The JDA, however, has cleared it stand that the building will not be demolished without inviting objection and suggestion.

A senior official of the JDA said, “Not an inch park land is used for construction. The land use of the hotel land is commercial/recreational and move will save the land forever.”