IT TOOK two years, 11 months and 17 days since the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly to hold several deliberations and the Drafting Committee led by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to submit to the Assembly the draft of the Constitution of India, which was adopted on November 26, 1949. However, eight years since its conception, the country’s first Samvidhan Prastavika Udyan proposed in Dr Ambedkar Law College premises of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) is awaiting its completion. The completion of the Samvidhan Prastavika Udyan (Constitution Preamble Park) is getting delayed due to a variety of reasons including administrative approvals, problems in raising people’s contribution required, and lack of coordination between the Samvidhan Prastavika Park Samiti and RTMNU. The Park is being developed in the premises of RTMNU’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Law in Law College Square. The idea started taking shape in 2016, the 125th birth anniversary year of ‘Bharat Ratna’ Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

 

 

It took four years to finalise the proposal, and constitute the committee led by noted social worker Dr Girish Gandhi. The project moved further in 2019 after RTMNU decided to take up various activities as a mark of respect to Dr Ambedkar. The expenditure involved in the project was approximately Rs 10 crore. It was supposed to be raised through public participation, with funding support from the Government and RTMNU. Sandip Kamble prepared the architectural design of the Samvidhan Prastavika Udyan. On November 26, 2019, on ‘Samvidhan Diwas’, bhoomipujan of the project was performed in presence of Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the then Guardian Minister of Nagpur district; Dr Girish Gandhi, President of the Samiti; members including Prof Jogendra Kawade, the then MLC; Puran Meshram, former Registrar of RTMNU; Dr S P Kane, the then Vice-Chancellor; Dr Pramod Yeole, then Pro-Vice Chancellor, and others. However, the project is yet to be completed.

 

Dr Girish Gandhi, Prof Jogendra Kawade, ex-MLCs Prof Anil Sole and Prakash Gajbhiye, ex-MP Ajay Sancheti had contributed Rs 5 lakh each for this project initially. Rajkumar Badole, the then Social Justice Minister, during the State Government led by Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, had given over Rs 2 crore for this park. Considering the grandeur of the park, the cost went beyond the estimate of Rs 10 crore. As such, lack of adequate funds also became a problem. Nagpur Improvement Trust was appointed as nodal agency to supervise the construction of the actual park inside. RTMNU could not get the grand gate constructed due to a reason. An official of the university, on the condition of anonymity, said,“When the project was conceptualised, the present under-construction flyover on Amravati road was not thought of. Initially, the height of the gate was 40-45 feet while the width was 60 feet. When the flyover project started, it was noticed that the view of the Samvidhan Prastavika Park from the other side of the road would get blocked because of the difference between the height of the gate and the flyover. Hence, the university decided to keep the height of the gate lower than that of the flyover.” But, all this took time, and contributed to delay in completion of the project. Thus, owing to different reasons, eight years have passed by since the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, but the Samvidhan Prastavika Udyan is yet to be ready for the public.