CHENNAI: The Arignar Anna Park, which is the birthplace of the DMK, is likely to get a facelift. “Our party was born here, and we want to make this one of the best parks in Chennai. Our proposal will be submitted to the chief minister,” DMK MLA ‘Idream’ R Murthy told Express.
Initially called the Robinson Park and located in North Chennai’s Royapuram, the park was the venue for CN Annadurai to announce the launch of the party in 1949. It was later renamed the Arignar Anna Park. The six-acre park sees around 5,000 visitors a day.
Over the years, however, the park lost some of its greenery due to poor maintenance. While the play facilities inside are rusting away, a large landfill is forming outside the park. It also lack adequate bike-parking space for the visitors. What’s more, the DMK did not win the Royapuram Assembly segment for 20 years.
So, one of the first things that Murthy did after getting elected MLA from the segment was to inspect the park with corporation officials. Last week, he held a meeting with park-association members and regular visitors to draw up a proposal to give the park a facelift befitting its historical significance.
“In the olden days, the park was larger. The previous government, however, took some part of the park’s land and used it to build a road leading to the MLA office nearby,” the MLA said. He said that the road that once belonged to the park would be brought back so that the park’s size increases.
“I have proposed a bike-parking lot and a space for yoga practice as well,” he said, adding that the badminton court and children’s play areas too would be revamped. Meanwhile, officials from the corporation’s park department said they would look into the proposal and decide whether the park should be renovated with MLA funds or as part of the renovation of all parks. “We will also hold meetings with resident associations on how the renovation should be carried out,” an official said.