Entry to the park is “free” but visitors will have to buy a mandatory gate pass. The counterfoil of the pass will be kept with the forest authorities. “People should not misunderstand us. The system will help us check the entry of unwanted people. We can also track down culprits in case of any nuisance,” said Ananta Roy, minister in-charge of the state forest department.

The Eden Gardens are owned by the local Army authority but are maintained by the state forest department. The latter had insisted on charging an entry fee of Rs 2, which could go towards the maintenance of the park, but the Army opposed it.

“The opening of the gardens today was the culmination of the efforts of the GOC Bengal Area and Colonel Q (a designation for one who looks after land-related matters in the Ministry of Defence) over the last three years, to ensure that citizens can enjoy the benefits of the park for free,” said Group Captain R K Das, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence in Kolkata. The Army authorities were, however, conspicuous by their absence at the elaborate function organised by the urban and recreational forestry division of the forest department.

“The Army had objected to this. Unfortunately, the park had to be closed down following the controversy. We approached the chief minister and he took up the matter with the Union defence minister and even the Prime Minister. The chief minister then told us to open the gardens to the public for free — at least for the time being,” said Ananta Roy. The minister said the forest department would have to bear the entire burden of expenditure incurred towards the maintenance of Eden Gardens.