The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : SAAP decides to evict shopkeepers from Lal Bahadur Stadium

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

SAAP decides to evict shopkeepers from Lal Bahadur Stadium

Special Correspondent

To utilise the premises exclusively for promoting sporting activity

HYDERABAD: Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) has decided to evict all shopkeepers from the Lal Bahadur Stadium premises.

In all, there are 44 shops housing units ranging from gas agency to car decors. They are paying a ridiculously low rental of Rs. 3 a square feet towards annual lease amount. Most of the shops have been existing for decades.

As a first step towards clearing the place, SAAP has recently hiked the lease amount to Rs.25 a square feet and asked shop owners to pay the revised rent from May 17.

There is now a rethink on the whole issue of letting out the outer periphery of the stadium for commercial ventures.

Officials now feel that the premises can be better utilised for accommodating sportspersons or conducting any sports-related activity like running a hostel for students.

"No business ventures are allowed to function out of the Gachibowli stadium. Why should we allow it here?

Moreover, several sportspersons have expressed reservation over a LPG agency running its outlet from one of the shops.

We are against it too," says Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of SAAP G. Kamalavardhana Rao.

"The SAAP is considering utilising the space for promotion of sports interests but not business interests," he adds.

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