‘Allow Ramlila at Shivaji Park’

After the Ganapati mandals, it is time for the Ramlila organisers to knock the doors of the Bombay High Court.

Shri Adarsh Ramlila Samiti has filed a petition in the high court praying that they be allowed to hold the Ramlila at Shivaji Park from September 20 to October 6 after the BMC rejected their application. There is a strict noise pollution restriction on the open ground.

A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice Roshan Dalvi asked the BMC to submit a list of 30 days, which have relaxed noise control norms as per the government resolution, on Wednesday.

Suggesting that a few policies need to be formed, chief justice Shah observed: “Every time people come to us for permission. Why should we decide this?”

Following the high court order on May 5, 2010, Shivaji Park was declared as the silence zone due to its vicinity to religious and educational institutes.

Ashish Kamat, counsel for the Samiti, informed the court that the organisation has been holding Ramlila and Dussera festival at Shivaji Park for several years now and have never violated the noise pollution rules.

Geeta Joglekar, advocate for the BMC, said the Samiti’s application was rejected in view of the court order.

The government has also been granting permission to hold the annual Shiv Sena rally and Veer Savarkar Jayanti function there.
Last year, the Bengal Club had sought the court’s permission to hold the Dussera function at Shivaji Park on the last three days. The BMC had leased a portion of the ground to the club.