The Maharashtra government is set to undertake a comprehensive review of the leases, rents and usage rules governing Mumbai’s iconic Azad Maidan, Cross Maidan and Oval Maidan, with a new policy planned for their long-term management.
According to a government resolution issued by the state Sports Department on Friday, a high-level committee will examine the leases granted for playing pitches, including their tenure, terms and conditions. The panel will recommend whether existing arrangements should be renewed and what conditions should apply in the future.
The review is significant as the three South Mumbai grounds are extensively used by sports organisations, clubs and young athletes for training and competitions. Around 60 clubs are associated with the maidans, which serve as important sporting spaces, particularly for cricket.
Azad Maidan also has a longstanding public role and has hosted political rallies, demonstrations and public gatherings since the colonial period.
Lease Arrangements Under Review
The maidans are owned by the state Public Works Department (PWD), while their cricket pitches have been managed by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) under government leases. Those lease arrangements have since expired.
MCA representatives had met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in November last year over the matter, but a final decision is still pending.
The latest move follows an earlier attempt by the Sports Department in 2021 to seek transfer of ownership of the grounds. That proposal did not progress.
Committee to Examine New Framework
The panel will be headed by the principal secretary of the Sports Department and will include the sports commissioner, Mumbai city collector, a PWD executive engineer, senior Sports Department officials and an MCA representative.
The committee will assess whether existing rents should be revised based on maintenance expenditure, available facilities, the nature of usage and prevailing rates. It will also recommend a uniform and transparent rulebook covering booking procedures, usage periods, allotment priorities, charges and security arrangements.
Management, repairs, maintenance and conservation of the grounds will also be reviewed as part of the exercise.
The government has specifically asked the committee to “recommend a policy that gives priority to sports development while maintaining an appropriate balance between the interests of various sports organisations, players and citizens in the use of the grounds”.
The panel has been tasked with developing a financially sustainable and sports-focused framework for the long-term management of all three maidans.
Government Seeks Better Upkeep
Ranjit Singh Deol, principal secretary, Sports Department, said the government wanted to strengthen the management of the grounds while preserving their role in nurturing young sporting talent.
“We already have rules governing the management and use of the maidans, but we want to ensure they are managed better and hence formulating a comprehensive policy for them,” Deol said.
“Many times, people seek permission to hold various activities on the maidans, which at times damages the playing pitches. Mumbai is known as a cricket hub, and this cannot be allowed to be disturbed,” he said.
“We will also take the views of all stakeholders and formulate a detailed policy, which will subsequently be placed before the government for approval,” Deol added.
The proposed review could therefore reshape how some of Mumbai’s most prominent open spaces are leased, maintained and shared among sports groups and the wider public.
Source: Hindustan Times
