GHMC opens doors to pay & play
Opportunity for schools with no playground to avail facility and reintroduce sports in curriculum
Schools and colleges that have no sports curriculum because they have no playground or open space, can make use of the GHMC's sports facilities, its playgrounds, indoor and outdoor complexes, on a 'pay and play' basis.
That is, they can hire the GHMC playground for a day or half a day and even conduct their annual sports day there. The playgrounds can be booked for up to a year.
More than half the private schools in the city have no playground attached and many function from a single building in residential localities. There are more than 3,000 private schools in the Hyderabad conglomerate.
There are 521 playgrounds within the GHMC limits, about 158 of them less than 500 square metres. Such playgrounds would be charged at the rate of `250 per hour. About 124 playgrounds with an area of about 500 sq mt to 1,000 sq mt will be charged `500 an hour. There are 97 playgrounds of 1,000-2000 sq mt and the rental for these playgrounds would be `800.
The charges for larger areas are: 89 playgrounds of 2,000 to 4,000 sq mt — `1,200 per hour. And 90 playgrounds of more than 4,000 sq mts —`1,500. These rates are open to revision.
Central Zone, Municipal Commissioner, Hari Chandana Dasari, said, “Interested schools and citizens can book the playground by logging on to the GHMC official website www.ghmc.gov.in. The GHMC is looking at renting big grounds for ` 10,000 for 75 hours. The rates for smaller playgrounds will differ. The party can book it for a day, week, month or a year by contacting the concerned circle office. That apart, individuals can become members of the GHMC sports complex by paying a nominal fee of `50100. The GHMC has already formulated the online process and the booking for playgrounds is open.”
There has been no criticism regarding the pay-play scheme so far, as the GHMC provides the structure and the equipment.
3,000
Private schools in Hyderabad 50%: Do not have playgrounds