LDA Vice-Chairman N S Ravi said the architects are expected to submit their proposal within a couple of days.

“We are not considering renovation from a tourism point of view. This place is extremely important due to its association with the freedom struggle. Though it’s premature to give more details at this point, the Shaheed Smarak would surely see a major change,” he said.

It is not that LDA has suddenly woken up to the condition of the memorial and its gardens.

Chief Minister Mayawati was reportedly unhappy with the maintenance of place when she, with senior officials, came here on January 30, Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary. “She issued directions to upgrade the place,” an LDA official said.

According to official sources, the park may have proper ghats on the riverbank, fountains, grass-beds and boundary walls as part of the upgradation process.

Shaheed Smarak, situated on the bank of River Gomti, was built to mark the first centenary of the Mutiny of 1857. It is a mark of respect to the thousands of unknown warriors who laid down their lives during the freedom struggle. Its proximity to the Residency adds to its importance.

However, the Smarak and its surrounding, maintained by the LDA, lie in shambles.

“The park does not have proper boundary walls, so anybody can in. Students, who bunk school, and anti-social elements are the main visitors. There is no facility of drinking water or toilets. Piles of garbage lie along the park boundary,” a worker in the park said.

Near the Smarak, one more memorial — Amar Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev Smarak Sthal — is scheduled to come up but the work is yet to be completed.