No sign of work
MORE than two years after former local government minister Premila Kumar launched the $1.5 million Ratu Sukuna Park upgrade project, the once popular hangout for Suva-siders remains borded up with no sign of any works being done.
Many fear the iconic meeting centre could follow the same path of the Shirley Park, Lautoka, project that has remained dormant since 2015 after the mega-fanfare launch of a multi-million hotel project by former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
Seven years later, a huge portion of the Lautoka recreation area remains borded off from recreational use, overgrown with weeds and a hangout for the homeless.
While the announcement of the Ratu Sukuna Park redevelopment program was announced in November, 2020, actual work began in September, 2021.
The then minister, Mrs Kumar, said the delay was due to restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She told the media in August, 2022, that the project should be completed within the 20222023 financial year.
Mrs Kumar said the park would boast a new podium and amphitheatre, new furniture, walkways and “the usual amenities”.
During the unveiling of the project, the then Suva special administrator chair Isikeli Tikoduadua said the park would also provide recharge platforms, Wi-Fi and other electronic gadgets that the new generation would bring in.
Local Government Ministry acting permanent secretary Shaheen Ali tweeted on April 2, 2022, that the park would also be safe for visitors with Wi-Fi connectivity and CCTV surveillance.
“This would feature a multipurpose state-of-theart podium and a modern cafe with rooftop open space overlooking the harbour,” Mr Ali said in his tweet.
However, with six months before the end of the 2022-2023 fiscal year, none of the promises look anywhere close to being materialised.
Ratu Sukuna Park remains cordoned off to the public with no sign of any works being done.
Suva City Council CEO Azam Khan told this paper in October, 2022 that he was awaiting reports from the project’s quantity surveyor and would get back to us with a written report.
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