Vizianagaram: Allow morning walkers, youth to play in Ayodhya Maidan

Vizianagaram: The Maharaja Alak Narayana Society for Arts and science (MANSAS) chaired by Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju has taken another hasty step here. Earlier, the trust was headed by Ashok Gajapathi Raju and it has been running many schools, colleges and temples for several years now.

But he was unseated by the present government and replaced by Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju, the daughter of late Ananda Gajapathi Raju as the chairperson of MANSAS trust. Subsequently, the trust has decided to privatise its junior college. In a fresh move, the Maharaja College has locked the stadium in Vizianagaram city, preventing the public from entering it during morning hours.

Generally, the MR College Grounds, popularly known as Ayodhya Maidan, is open for all. Children from various schools and colleges and youth from several colonies come here and play cricket, football, hockey and other sports. Even others like senior citizens, yoga practitioners and morning walkers also come here and do their regular practice. So far, there have been no rules and restrictions to enter the Maidan. But all of a sudden, the players and walkers were shocked to see a notice on the gate, which was locked. The Principal of the college said in the notice that only students and staff of the Maharaja college are allowed to enter the grounds and no others will be allowed.

K Pradeep, a cricket player and P Ramakrishna, a senior citizen, who come to the Maidan regularly, wondered why they were suddenly prevented from entering the stadium to carry out morning exercises. "We have been coming here for the past few decades. This is a shocking decision," they said. The locals staged a dharna at the gate and demanded that the college management allow everybody into the grounds to conduct their physical exercises and play various sports.