HC refuses to hear PIL against fee hike on stadium use

The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a PIL challenging the Sports Authority of India's decision to hike the fees for using the facilities at the various stadiums in the national capital which are managed by it.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw observed, "There is no public interest in this. This is not a PIL" and that the allegations in the plea were "made in the air" with no study or figures to substantiate them.
The bench was inclined to dismiss the petition it was withdrawn by the petitioner Vivek Narayan Sharma.

Sharma, an advocate, had submitted that in November 2011, the then sports minister had unveiled a programme -- 'Come and Play Scheme' -- for usage of SAI stadiums to encourage large- scale participation in sports and optimal utilisation of the stadiums and the facilities therein.
Under the scheme, the facilities were available free of cost to people below poverty line and at one-third rates to students of government schools with the purpose of encouraging sports at every level of society to find and nurture talent for international sporting events, the petition had said.
Thereafter, on August 5, 2014, SAI had revised the fees under the scheme with effect from July 11, 2014 for all stadiums including the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee swimming pool complex, the petition had said, adding that the hike was manifold.

The petition had said that earlier the monthly fees for using the pool, at any time of the year, was Rs 300 for those below 25 years of age and Rs 500 for those who were older, but post revision the monthly charges were fixed at Rs 2500 and Rs 3000 for summers and winters and had sought quashing of the fee hike.
SAI submitted before the court that the facilities at these stadiums were world class and were not meant for the public at large and added that people can't claim access to these facilities as a matter of right.