Hyderabad: The Gachibowli sports stadium earns heavily from non-sporting events, according to information elicited by an RTI query. That seems to be the reason it is closed for sporting activities most of the time, to make way for weddings, political functions and private parties.The Rs 70-crore Gachibowli stadium was constructed in 2002, and the Rs 48-crore loan taken to build it has been paid off.
The RTI applicant who didn’t want to be named said, “It is evident from the RTI reply that the Sports Authority of Telangana earns more from non-sporting events. My intention was to know what are the commercial activities permitted in the stadium.”
“There is nothing wrong if they can generate revenue from non-sporting events but they should balance it with events dedicated to sports,” he said. “The stadiums stands closed for many social events too".The SAT pays close to Rs 2 crore for maintenance charges of the Gachibowli stadium. For 2016-17, up to December 16, the Sports Authority had paid Rs 2.63 crore for maintenance. The highest was in 2015-16 when it paid Rs 3.39 crore for maintenance.
