Examine Opening School Grounds for Public: HC Asks Delhi Govt, MCD, KVS

The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government, the municipal corporation and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to examine opening school grounds for the public on a pay-and-play basis or any other scheme and sought their stand on the issue. A bench headed by Justice Najmi Waziri noted the lack of easy access to sports fields and facilities for the ordinary citizens and opined that neighbourhood sports facilities of government schools would be convenient for children and sports enthusiasts.

The court asked the authorities to consider opening their school grounds for optimal use for the larger public good while retaining the schools’ rights on the land. The students would also benefit from the additional sports facilities as may be created there, it stated.

Let the Government of NCT of Delhi, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (under the Union Ministry of Education), examine the matter and file their affidavits apropos opening of sports grounds in schools under their respective jurisdictions and for making them available for optimal use for the larger public good; if possible, on a pay-and-play basis and/or any other scheme; while all along ensuring that the said schools retain all their rights in the land and its students too benefit from the additional sports facilities as may be created in their lands, said the bench, also comprising Justice Vikas Mahajan, in its order dated May 26.

The court would take into consideration that all over the city the lack of easy access to stadia, sports fields and other sports facilities for the ordinary citizens, is well known. This could well be remedied and facilitated, in the first instance, by making available playgrounds of government schools or other schools owned or managed by statutory authorities. Such neighbourhood sports facilities would be convenient for children and sports enthusiasts, it added. The court was dealing with a petition by senior advocate Rahul Mehra concerning the compliance with the sports code by the national sports federation.

The court also said that opening of stadia and sports facilities is primarily for the benefit of sports persons and asked the Delhi government, Sports Authority of India and other concerned authorities to consider opening Thyagaraj Sports Complex, Chhatrasal Stadium, Shivaji Stadium and Punjabi Bagh Stadium for a longer duration i.e. from 5 am to 10 pm to overcome the exhausting heat during practice and play during the summer months.

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