The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Park, museum favoured at old prison site

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 13, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Park, museum favoured at old prison site

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM, FEB. 12. The People's Ballot conducted earlier this week revealed that an overwhelming majority of people want a park, science museum, etc. at the old Central Prison land in the heart of the city.

At the novel programme organised on Thursday and Friday by the People for India's Visakhapatnam Forum to elicit public opinion in the light of the raging controversy on the use of the 27 acres of the site, 2,486 of the 3,282 participants were in favour of option 1: `Protecting the trees and developing public utility projects like public garden, children's park, art gallery, science museum, planetarium and open-air theatre under Government control' at the site. This worked out to 76 per cent.

Good response

On the other hand, only 451 persons amounting to 14 per cent of the participants in the poll voted for option 2: `Seeking the Government to construct multiplex theatre complex with I-Max Theatre having ten screens, food courts, shopping mall, etc., with private capital'.

Nine per cent -- 311 persons -- wanted both while one per cent numbering 34 remained neutral.

The counting of the ballot papers was done on Friday evening in the presence of a panel of judges - the KGH surgeon, G. Arjuna, the advocate, C. Syam Sundar, and the State convener of SBI Women's Employees, A. Sushma. Addressing a press conference, they appreciated the efforts of the People for India. They felt that the sample represented the true public opinion in view of various public places and different sections of the people covered by the poll.

The convener of the organisation, B.B. Ganesh, said that the Forum wanted to conduct a sample survey of about 5,000 persons from different sections of the city's population and, therefore, set up ballot boxes at public places like RTC Complex, Tenneti Square (Jagadamba Junction), Andhra University, walkers at the Port Stadium (to know the walkers' opinion), shopping complexes (visitors' views), and at Government as well as public offices.

``Out of 5,000 ballot papers, 3,282 were returned. The number of persons who voted for option 1 were 2,486 which was 75.75 per cent while those for option 2 were 13.74 per cent. About 9.47 per cent voted for both while there were 16 without any opinion and 18 with other opinions. Those who took part in the ballot include 1,616 existing and retired employees, 339 students and 88 women'', Mr. Ganesh disclosed.

Other suggestions

Among other suggestions received through the ballot papers were allotment of additional space to RTC Complex, super speciality hospital, sports complex, public library, meditation centre, and indoor stadium, he stated.

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