Apartment associations protest against handing over of sports stadiums and complexes to private agencies in Visakhapatnam
The Hindu
VARWA & NIVAS members protest against handing over of sports stadiums & complexes to private agencies. Alleged that taxes paid by people are used to construct them, but private agencies collect huge amounts for activities. Middle-class people unable to pay. Authorities' decision condemned & urged to withdraw.
Members of Visakhapatnam Apartment Resident Welfare Associations (VARWA) and Federation of Greater Visakha Colony Associations (NIVAS) staged a protest at Gandhi Statue, near the GVMC building, against handing over of sports stadiums and complexes of the municipal corporation and Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) to the private agencies in the name of maintenance.
During the protest, the VARWA and NIVAS members alleged that Aqua Sports Complex on the Beach Road, MVP Sports Arena at MVP Colony, Health Arena at Kailasagiri, Port Stadium at Kailasapuram and a few other parks owned by the GVMC and VMRDA are coming under the hands of private persons. The members said that these stadiums and complexes were constructed by taxes paid by people, but later they were handed over to private agencies. These agencies have been collecting huge amounts to allow people to play any sports or organise any activities on them, Middle-class people would not be able to pay such huge amounts, they said. The members also stated that such decisions by the authorities should be strictly condemned and withdrawn.
President of VARWA N. Prakash Rao, P. Narayana Rao from NIVAS and others were present.
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