THANJAVUR: Nearly 1,000 walkers who use the 'Annai Sathya Stadium' here in the mornings and evenings for taking a stroll have expressed their disapproval and shock over a circular issued by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) to collect Rs 250 from each per month as 'tariff' for using the stadium space for their daily exercises.
The circular on 'membership tariff ' has been issued to stadiums in various corporations in Tamil Nadu including Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Madurai, Salem and Thoothukudi.
The circular says, “walkers may be permitted on payment of '250 per head per month. The last two lanes, namely, 7 and 8 may be allotted for walking. No walkers shall be permitted to use the synthetic track.”
“There are walkers who use the stadium for the past 20 to 25 years. Moreover, collecting tariff for walking is unheard of in places like these which have become corporations now. We are strongly opposed to this and also membership tariff announced by SDAT for school and college students and public for using and practising various games and sports in the stadium,” said T. Krishnaswamy Vandayar, vice-president, Tamil Nadu Amateur Athletic Association and a regular morning walker and shuttle player. He is also the president of the Thanjavur District Congress Committee (DCC).
The SDAT has also announced 'membership tariff' for using and practising various games and sports in the stadiums in the corporations including Thanjavur.
Accordingly Rs 100 should be collected from school students per month for using synthetic track for athletic purpose, Rs 150 per month from college students and Rs 300 per month from members of the public.
In case of using mud track, the tariff is Rs. 300 per year for school students, Rs 500 per year for college students and Rs 1,000 per year from the public.
With respect to Badminton (indoor) Rs 600 per month should be collected from school boys, Rs 750 from college boys, and Rs 1,500 from members of the public. For badminton outdoor, the tariff is Rs 300 per month for school students, Rs 500 for college students and Rs 1,000 for members of the public.
The SDAT has announced such tariffs for basket ball, boxing ring, cricket pitch, chess hall, carrom hall, foot ball (Rs 500 per year for school students, Rs 750 per year for college students and Rs 1,000 per year for the public for using natural grass football court and Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500 per year for mud football ground), gymnastics, fencing, hockey, kabadi, handball, Kho-Kho, Skating, hockey, handball, Kabadi etc.
A sports person said that collection of tariff from students will discourage them from coming for using and practicing any game. “Then how talented sportspersons will emerge? Normally tariff is not collected from individuals but only for hosting games from teams and organizations,” he said. The user charges are expected to come into effect from November 1, sources added.
