Siliguri, 18th December: Boating services at Surya Sen Park in Siliguri resumed on Thursday after being shut for several months. The facility was formally inaugurated by Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb by cutting the ribbon. Deputy Mayor Ranjan Sarkar and officials of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation were also present on the occasion.
As part of the relaunch, four four-seater duck boats, two four-seater boats, and four two-seater boats were introduced. In addition, eight swans were released into the pond and fish fingerlings were also released. The new boats were procured at a cost of approximately Rs 9.84 lakh.
Ticket rates for boating have been fixed at Rs 60 per person for four-seater boats and Rs 30 per person for two-seater boats. Special emphasis has been laid on safety, with life jackets being provided to all passengers during boating.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mayor Gautam Deb said boating services had earlier been suspended due to renovation work of the pond and damage to the old boats caused by prolonged use. With the procurement of new boats from outside, boating facilities have now been reopened for visitors from Thursday.