There is big news for the people of Azamgarh. The neglected stretch of land that the old jail sits on, right in the centre of the city, will no longer go to waste. A new, modern hub is set to come up here after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced plans to build a convention centre, a park and a shopping mall on the site, raising hopes that a long-standing public demand will finally be met.
A demand stuck for years
For a long time, residents had been pushing for facilities such as a shopping complex and a park to be developed on the old jail land in the middle of Azamgarh city. The problem, however, was that approval from the state government was not coming through, and as a result the plan never moved forward. Over time, the valuable plot slowly turned into ruins. As things stand, the Azamgarh municipality is currently using the spot temporarily as a dumping ground for garbage.
A new hub on 12 acres
During a recent event held at the campus of Maharaja Suheldev University, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that a convention centre, a park and a shopping mall would be built on the entire 12 acres of the old jail land. The announcement immediately opened the door to beautifying the long-ignored space and turning it into something useful for the city's residents. The Chief Minister has directed the Azamgarh Development Authority to draw up a detailed plan for the construction.
What the city stands to gain
Once the project is complete, the people of Azamgarh will have a large, modern centre right in the heart of the city. Alongside it, an open park and a green environment will come up in the busy core of the town, offering some relief in a crowded area. The shopping complex, on the other hand, will give district residents a new and modern marketplace. This is expected to boost local trade and create fresh employment opportunities, directly benefiting the people of the area.
Earlier efforts to revive the site
This is not the first time an attempt has been made to develop the site. Earlier too, continuous efforts had been made towards building a convention centre and a park here. To make these facilities possible on the old jail land, Uttar Pradesh Jail Minister Dara Singh Chauhan and former BJP Lalganj district president Suraj Prakash Srivastava had made several attempts.
What the former district chief said
Sharing details on the matter, former BJP Lalganj district president Suraj Prakash Srivastava said this had been a very old demand of the people of Azamgarh district, one that had been pursued continuously. He added that various public representatives of the district had repeatedly raised the demand, and the Chief Minister has now accepted the proposal.
