Mangaluru : The State government on Wednesday told the High Court of Karnataka that both the football and the cricket grounds at Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru city have been now declared as ‘play-fields’ under the Karnataka Parks, Play-fields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act, 1985.

The government counsel submitted a copy of the gazette notification, dated December 10, 2020, declaring both the grounds as ‘play-fields’ under the Act.

While the extent of cricket ground has been declared as 6 acres and 5 guntas in survey number 291/2A3 of Attavara, the extent of football ground has been declared as 3 acres and 22 guntas in the survey number 291/2A3 of Attavara.

Following this submission, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice S. Vishwajith Shetty disposed of a PIL petition, filed by Vijaya Suvarna and 10 others from Mangaluru.

The petitioners had moved the court in May questioning the decision of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) to put up temporary structures in a portion of Nehru Maidan to shift shopkeepers from Central Market to enable redevelopment of the market complex under the Smart City project.

It was pointed out during the hearing of the petition earlier that though the MCC had recommended inclusion of Nehru Maidan grounds under the 1985 Act, the government had not taken a decision.

While the court in June restrained the MCC from putting up any temporary structures till the government decided on inclusion of the grounds under the Act, the government on October 19, 2020 accepted the MCC Commissioner’s October 15 proposal to declare both the grounds as ‘play-fields’ as per Section 4(2) of the Act. Finally, the government gazetted its decision on December 10.