The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed Madurai Corporation to remove the stalls abutting the walls of Vandiyur park. The court also modified the timings and allowed the Vandiyur park to be open continuously from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel sought a response from Madurai Corporation on the fee to be levied on the visitors. The court posted the matter for hearing to August 13.
The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by N. Manikandan of Madurai, who sought a direction to authorities to close the food stalls functioning in the park and to restrain the visitors from bringing plastic materials into the park.
He also sought a direction to restrain the Corporation from installing amusement equipment such as giant wheel inside the park, and from collecting entry fee from the visitors.
Earlier, the court directed the Corporation to forthwith close down the commercial activities that were entrusted to private people in rooms or buildings constructed on the banks of the Vandiyur lake. The court also restrained the Corporation from collecting any fee from the visitors for walking, sitting in the park and children playing in the limited area.
The court directed that the park should be open only from 6 a.m to 10 a.m and from 3 p.m to 8 p.m.. During this period, the visitors should be allowed into the Vandiyur park and on the banks of the Vandiyur lake. No one should be permitted to enter during the remaining period.
