The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday informed the High Court of Karnataka that it has taken a policy decision two years ago that public playgrounds in the city will be allotted for conducting private or non-sporting events only for a maximum period of five days in a month.
A statement in this regard was filed during the hearing of a PIL petition that seeks a direction to the civic authority not to grant permission for any non-sporting event and activity at the National College grounds at Basavanagudi.
Apart from restricting the use of playgrounds for non-sporting events to five days, the BBMP’s decision, taken on June 5, 2015, also states that only one Sunday of a month can be utilised for non-sporting events. The decision was taken during the tenure of an administrator in the absence of an elected body.
Clarifying that the BBMP has not gone against this decision on restricting use of playgrounds for non-sporting activities, the palike also assured the High Court that it would abide by this restriction in future.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar, which heard the petition reserved its verdict.
In their petition, Shankarapuram Residents’ Welfare Association had complained that local residents living around the ground are put to severe hardships such as traffic restrictions, sound and air pollution, and increased garbage menace when the ground is used for non-sporting events, mainly political and religious ones.