Chennai: The Chennai High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the Tamil Nadu government to respond to a petition seeking a ban on the sale of food items at high prices during cricket matches at Chennai’s Chepakkam ground.
In the petition filed by A.S. Shanmukharajan from Kilpakkam Garden area in Chennai High Court, “I went to see the match between India and Australia at the Chepakkam Cricket Stadium in Chennai. There is no free clean drinking water facility or toilets in the stadium where 40 thousand fans can sit and watch. 100 ml of drinking water 10, a liter bottle for Rs.100, soft drinks for Rs.50 to Rs.100, samosas for Rs.50 to Rs.80 and sambar and curd rice for Rs.100.
The sale of these goods at more than the fixed maximum price should be prohibited. I have filed a complaint on March 23 with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, BCCI, Chennai Police Commissioner, Tamil Nadu Food Safety Commissioner to stop the sale of water and food items at extra cost during the IPL matches which will start next week. The concerned authorities should be ordered to take appropriate action on the petition,” he had demanded in the petition.
The case came up for hearing in a session consisting of Chief Justice D. Raja and Justice D. Bharatasakravarthy. At that time, the petitioner said, “It is illegal to sell food items at high prices.”
The lawyer of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, who objected to this, said, “Free drinking water is provided in all areas of the ground. If food is served in plastic bottles, it is not served in plastic as there is a chance of it being thrown inside the ground.”
The judges heard the case and ordered the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Tamil Nadu Government and BCCI to respond to the petition and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
