The Delhi High Court on Sunday asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government and Municipal Corporations to re-look into the charges fixed by them for using space at sites designated for making Ravana effigies by artisans and to place a report in the matter for further hearing on August 7.

The direction was issued by a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar after the artisans told the court that at the present rate of Rs 5 per square feet, they would end up paying between Rs 22,000 to Rs 30,000 each month and they cannot afford it.They sought that the usage charges be reduced to Rs 1 per square feet which was affordable.

The Bench hearing a PIL initiated on its own after it came across a news report saying that several Ravana effigies, built by artisans who came here from Rajasthan for Dussehra, were destroyed or confiscated by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation for allegedly encroaching on public land said if they apply for registration under the current policy, the authorities would assume it as acceptance of the higher usage charges.

Last year in September the court had asked corporation and the Delhi Government to draft a policy for allocating land to the artisans to make Ravanas. Acting on court orders a draft policy was framed by the Delhi Government after holding meetings with the corporations and other civic bodies.

As per policy there is a registration fee of Rs 500 per applicant and usage charges of Rs 5 per square feet per month. The policy further stated that the artisan has to register two months before starting his work and once site is allotted it will be for only two months.

“There should be no pollution of any kind at the site allotted to artisan and if the number of applicants exceeds the land available, then registrations would be granted on first-come-first-serve basis,” policy stated.

Re-look charges fixed for space for making Ravana effigies: HC tells Government