India News | HC Permits Use of Cross Maidan in South Mumbai for Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

Mumbai, Jan 19 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Thursday allowed the use of the Cross Maidan in south Mumbai for the nine-day Kala Ghoda Arts Festival but said no refreshment and commercial stalls would be set up at the public ground.

Also Read | Gurugram: Man Burnt to Death in Flat After House Catches Fire at Tata Raisina Residency in Sector 59.

Also Read | Gujarat: Bharuch DSP Suspends Two Employees for Leaking Officers' Movement to Bootleggers.

A division bench of Justices R D Dhanuka and M M Sathaye heard an application filed by the Kala Ghoda Association seeking permission to hold the festival at Cross Maidan to display art installations and hold performances from February 4 to 12.

During hearing of a public interest litigation, which opposed non-sporting activities in the open space, the HC had in 2017 directed the Mumbai Collector to not allot Cross Maidan to any third party without its permission. This was because the Maidan is a playground as per the development plan of the city.

The association claimed that the festival was not for profit and that a nominal fee is charged for entities to set up their stalls. The entry to the festival is also free of cost, said the organisers, adding that they were in the process of obtaining permissions from the civic body, police and the Collector.

The court allowed the application and said it was doing so only on the condition that the association would submit an undertaking that it would not erect commercial and refreshment stalls at the Maidan. The association agreed to adhere to the condition.

The Kala Ghoda precinct in south Mumbai houses a number of institutions like the Jehangir Art Gallery, Prince of Wales Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, and Bombay Natural History Society.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)