Situated outside the Birsa Munda Football Stadium is a piece of land spanning 500 feet north-south and 300 feet east-west. But it is not just any land in the Capital city. It’s a posh locality, within a stone’s throw of ministerial residences.
Morhabadi Maidan has been exploited by the district administration as a one-stop solution for any occasion that requires accommodating huge gatherings. In turn, it generates revenue, though not much.
According to information shared by the office of Ranchi Nazarat Deputy Collector, the district administration’s coffers got richer by a mere Rs 1.5 lakh in the last financial year through user charges collected from Morhabadi Maidan.
This amount includes Rs 75,000 paid by an NGO, Samaj Vikas Sangathan, for using the ground between September 23 and October 7, 2012, for organising the National Trade Fair-cum-Craft Bazaar. Other contributors are AJSU Party (Rs 5,000) for organising their one-day Mahila Panchayat on March 24 and another NGO, Yuva Pragati Sangathan, (Rs 70,000) for the 10-day Hastshilpa Mahotsava and Jharkhand Trade Fair-2013.
This meagre amount, however, cannot deny the fact the ground has huge potential for revenue generation.
From September 2012 to March 2013, it had been used by different Government departments for organising events on 10 different occasions at least. This includes the exhibition on Jharkhand Foundation Day — the Vikas Mela. Interestingly, Government departments are not required to pay — unlike non-Government organisers — though, they make good amount of money by selling stalls during their exhibitions.
Till March 2012, user charges — as the administration refers to the daily rent levied on organisers for using the ground — were Rs 5,000. The administration had decided to double it from April 2013. But Government departments will continue to use Morhabadi Maidan without paying.
Prior to 2009, no user charge was levied. The then Ranchi Deputy Commissioner, Rajeev Arun Ekka, currently serving as Secretary of panchayati raj department, decided on Rs 5,000 a day, to be used to maintain the ground.
“The rationale behind levying the user charge was to generate revenue. The money was to be spent on maintenance. After using the ground, everyone leave it littered. Trenches dug are left uncovered. The Municipal Corporation has to use its resources in cleaning the field and this financial burden was to be eased,” said Ekka.
On why the Government was exempted, Ekka said, “The departments were supposed to repair and make up for damages they cause when they organise events.”