It has been two years that the proposal for the beautification of Nehru Rose Garden was announced and even after floating tenders four times, the project has failed to get started. The latest one was floated two months ago but the project failed to see the light of day.
The project has been ‘controversial’ since the beginning, both in terms of cost and tenders. Its estimated cost was slashed from an initial Rs 8.8 crore to Rs 8.4 crore and then to Rs 7.8 crore.
The delays have only led to deplorable condition of the iconic Rose Garden, which was once the favourite picnic spot for children and the elderly. With swings in broken condition, now only senior citizens come for morning and evening walks.
The beautiful fountain, which was the main attraction and used to work in the evening, is broken. Swings are in bad shape and gleaming tiles are coming off. Even benches are broken and there is no place left for visitors to sit.
“My grandson come along with me during my evening walks and he insists on taking swings but these are in a bad condition and should be replaced immediately in view of children safety. The revamp project is getting delayed but the safety of the children can’t be compromised,” said Prakash Singh.
Another senior citizen, Pritam Singh, said benches in the garden are in a bad condition. “Most of these are broken and there is hardly any place left to sit,” he said.
Remembering the good old days, Tirath Ram said there was a time when fountain used to work and there was a sound and light show. People from all age groups used to gather here in the evening but now, it had become a thing of the past.
With green spaces in the city decreasing, city residents want that the work for the revamping of the Rose Garden should be started soon.
Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar said it had been two months since the tender was floated but it has not opened so far. With the new MC Commissioner joining, hopes were high that the tender would be opened soon.
Nehru Rose Garden was established in 1967 and it spans across 30 acres. It once used to feature over 17,000 plants and 1,600 rose varieties.
Past controversies
The project has been marred by a controversy twice and became embroiled in a corruption scandal earlier in 2025 when an alleged audio clip of the then superintending engineer Sanjay Kanwar, demanding a 10 per cent commission from a contractor in exchange for awarding the work, surfaced. It prompted the Vigilance Bureau to arrest Kanwar, intensifying scrutiny against the municipal administration.
The first tender, issued in December 2024, also drew criticism when officials allegedly manipulated dates during the enforcement of the model code of conduct. The matter was escalated to the Election Commission and an internal committee later recommended scrapping and reissuing of the tender. Later, tender was floated on different occasions twice in 2025.
