GUNTUR: Chandrakala Park in Bapatla has seventy years of glorious past. It was once the nerve centre of Bapatla and is located adjacent to Bapatla Railway Station. Forum for Better Bapatla secretary PC Sai Babu gave a representation to this effect to municipal commissioner Bhanu Pratap to prevent shifting of the park during Spandana programme at Bapatla on Monday.
Sai Babu recalled that the first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, addressed the people of Bapatla from here on October 20, 1936.
The foundation stone for the park was laid by great Andhra leaders Kalluri ‘Chandra’mouli and ‘Kala’ Venkatrao. The park was named after the duo.
The park was opened on October 2, 1950, when Bapatla was a gram panchayat, by its first MLA Mantena Venkataraju. A ‘Jaya Stupa’ was set up here by the first Bapatla municipal chairman Velagapudi Subba Rao on October 1, 1954 on occasion of the first anniversary of formation of Andhra State.
The forum set up the statue of its first chairman Velagapudi Subba Rao in the park in 2010. Now, Chandrakala Park is likely to be shifted to some other place.
Bapatla Municipality has proposed to lay down a road through the park’s present location to ease traffic.
The forum has urged the municipal authorities to protect the historical ‘Jaya Stupa’ and statue of Velagapudi Subba Rao.