Free access to swimming pools for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation school kids

The civic body is going to provide free access to swimming pools to students aged from 5 to 12 years and studying in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) schools. There are 14 swimming pools maintained by the civic body in the city. Recently, the AMC was forced to recall the decision to privatise swimming pools. However, the AMC has increased fees by 100 per cent, citing maintenance cost.

According to sources, the move to provide free access to kids came after citizens protested the fees hike. "After the hefty hike in fees, the civic body had effectively made the swimming pools inaccessible for the underprivileged and poor. The decision was taken after an uproar by citizens to withdraw the hike. However, we suspect that in the name of providing coaches, the authorities will rope in private players," said the leader of the opposition Dinesh Sharma.