The cancellation of Jantar Manatar as the designated protest site in Delhi will make protests a costly proposition in the future. protest at the three new designated grounds could cost well over one lakh While one could protestat Jantar Mantar for free. This would include everythiing from security deposit to sanitation charges and taxes.
CBS Ground (Shahdara) and Burari Ground falls under the jurisdiction of the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) While the booking of Ramlila Maidan is managed by the MCD (Municipal Corporation). However, regulations regarding how the DDA will allocate grounds for political activities are currently being formulated. Currently, the historic Ramlila event is underway there. Organizing a protest there presents challenges: securing a booking is difficult, and a substantial security deposit is required. Booking for Ramlila Maidan is handled by the Municipal Corporation. There is currently no separate category for political activities. When NDTV attempted to book Plot No.
To book the ground for a single day, one must first deposit Rs 50,000 as security. Additionally, there is a Rs 5,000 charge for ground security, a daily rental fee of Rs 50,000, a daily sanitation charge of Rs 4,000, and a license fee of Rs 2,000. On top of these costs, an 18% GST amounting to Rs 10,080 is levied. The fee will be collected; in other words, a total of Rs 1,21,080 will be charged to book the Ramlila Maidan. 27 at CBS Ground for a social welfare event, the DDA website’s rent calculator indicated the following costs for a one-day booking of a 3,000-square-meter area: A security deposit of Rs 95,832, a daily sanitation charge of Rs 9,982, and Rs 1,800 in GST (at 18%), bringing the total one-day cost to Rs 1,07,614. Even if the security deposit is refunded, the daily cost for using this ground works out to Rs 31,733; in other words, staging a protest or demonstration in Delhi will prove to be an expensive affair.
