A team of BJP corporators including Suhas Kulkarni, Ashok Yenpure, Ujwala Ganjiwale, Uday Joshi and Surekha Pashankar, led by Bapat, inspected Peshwe Park, Sarasbaug, Garware Balbhavan and Ghorpade Peth municipal garden yesterday evening.

In a statement issued today, Bapat said he was shocked to find that the popular zoo was in a state of utter neglect with several toys in a broken condition. Besides, the garden department had failed to provide proper sanitation facilities and drinking water at the park.

He announced a grant of Rs 25,000 from his MLA fund for repairs to the broken toys and warned that he would launch an agitation if the repairs were not carried out within next 10 days. Bapat also demanded that the garden department extend the closing time of the Peshwe Park from the current 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm till June 15, to facilitate the children who visit the zoo in large number during the summer vacation.

``The BJP had informed the civic officials about the visit. However, no PMC officer turned up,'' Bapat said adding ``during our visit even the civic employees at the park complained to us that it was being neglected by their seniors.''

When contacted, civic garden department chief Y S Khaire refuted the charges that the senior civic officials were neglecting the famous zoo. He said he got the intimation about the visit by BJP members very late and hence could not make it.

``Every summer, following the heavy rush, some toys get broken. The PMC has established a special unit which carries out repairs on a continuous basis at all the municipal gardens. We have trained personnel from the PMC workshop department itself to undertake the job. Hence, there is no question of paucity of funds delaying the repairs,'' he said.

Khaire said he has not received any letter from Bapat demanding extension of the park's closing time by an hour. He, however, pointed out that the park's closing time was decided after consulting the wild life experts.