School playgrounds cannot be used for commercial activities: Allahabad HC

Prayagraj, Oct 17 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has held that immovable properties belonging to educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh including playgrounds cannot be allowed to be used for any commercial activities like exhibitions or other kind of fairs or as places for selling goods.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra directed the state government to issue an apparent circular to this effect directing the district administrations, police administrations and educational institutions at all levels in consonance with the directions of the court within a period of one month.

The judgement was passed during hearing of a PIL filed by a person named Girja Shankar seeking court direction to the state authorities to stop commercial mela being organised within the premises of the government-aided Brahmanand Degree College at Rath in Hamirpur district.

The petition said that in the college affiliated to Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, a commercial mela is being organised since last year in the entire open ground at the instance of the principal of the institution.

After going through the arguments and material on record the court observed, "Educational institutions are meant for imparting education only and the land and building belonging to such institutions which include their playgrounds also cannot be permitted to be used for holding any commercial activity under any name, like exhibitions, trade fairs or other kinds of fairs, or sale of one or the other articles and goods etc." "Infrastructure of educational institutions is meant to be utilised strictly for the purposes of educational activities and those associated and linked thereto like holding of sports events, cultural, inter-schools competitions and such other identical curricular activities organised by the institution itself and for no other purpose," the court added. PTI COR RAJ ZMN