MANGALORE: The High Court has ruled that henceforth the Mangalore City Corporation cannot permit organizations to use the Nehru Maidan or for that matter any public ground in the MCC limits, according to its whims and fancies. The court has also directed the MCC to frame guidelines in this regard. The NM Cricketers of Jeppu had earlier filed a writ in this regard.
In the backdrop of the HC ruling, Hanumantha Kamath, President of the Nagarika Hitharakshana Samithi has demanded that the MCC should issue an ordinance after framing necessary guidelines on the matter in accordance to the High Court ruling.
Addressing press persons in the city, Kamath said on November 27, 2007, the Mangalore Friends NM Cricketers had submitted an application to the MCC seeking permission to organize a cricket tourney at Urva Maidan. But the MCC which had rejected this application had permitted another tem that had applied on February 5, 2008 seeking permission to play cricket in the same ground. As the MCC lacked necessary guidelines on granting permission to use any public ground, the ground was reserved for the same team every year. Following this, the NM Cricketers had moved the High Court questioning the MCC action.
The court which conducted hearing into this case, has now issued the above mentioned directive.
According to Hanumantha Kamath, whenever any team or club approached the MCC to book the Nehru Maidan for any match, the MCC officials asked them to contact MD Aslam of Football Association. He questioned why a Football Association person had to be contacted to seek permission to use the Nehru Maidan.
The movement to save the Nehru Maidan has got an initial win, Kamath said adding in the future a legal battle would be waged to even clear the Nehru Maidan of the bus stand and the fish market adjacent to it and also to see that efforts are made to utilize the maidan for the purpose for which it was meant and donated.
He also demanded that the MCC framed the guidelines on using the maidan within three months failing which contempt of court case would be filed.
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