Outfit alleges procedural lapses in outsourcing Yediyur sports facility

Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) has alleged that charges are collected from citizens for using the sports facilities at Yediyur’s commercial complex without transparency.

They have also questioned the rationale behind charging fees when the entire complex was built using Rs 1 crore of taxpayers’ money.

In 2018, the BBMP spent Rs 1 crore on providing table tennis barricades and improvement works to the market building at Yediyur ward no 167. The commercial building (market complex) houses Vajradehi Vyayama Shale, a gym, and Druva Tare Table Tennis Academy, an indoor table tennis facility.

“Despite being a BBMP amenity, the sports building is outsourced. In addition, in the name of the academy, citizens are charged Rs 3,000 per month as fees for tennis training and facilities by the outsourced parties at the complex,” the BNP has stated in a press release.

“The ward also has Navatare Badminton Academy behind the clock tower at the South End Circle. Children aged below 8 are charged Rs 2,000 and those above 12 years are charged Rs 3,000.

When contacted to verify the fees, the academy said the aforementioned fees are for the existing batches, while fees for the upcoming batches starting from June are Rs 1,000 less on the current fees.

Expressing doubt on the transparency in the BBMP’s governance, BNP member Siddharth Shetty said, “Has the BBMP outsourced these amenities? If yes, was the tender called before outsourcing? Were all the tender-related processes and rules followed? The BBMP should be held accountable for this.”

They also suspected that a political leader was running the facility. “Where is the money collected in the name of fees going? The BBMP has built this with public money. Citizens should be allowed to use it for free or the money collected should go to the BBMP. This needs accountability.”

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