Mumbai: BMC has for the first time framed a policy to regulate cricket and other sports turfs being operated on municipal leasehold plots, with the civic body proposing to recover an annual licence fee linked to Ready Reckoner rates.The move comes after the civic administration found that a considerable number of sports turfs were being commercially operated on municipal land without obtaining the required permission or No Objection Certificate (NOC). Many of these facilities are being booked online and offline, generating revenue for lessees, occupants or third-party operators, while BMC has not been receiving a share.The new policy provides for an annual Turf Licence Fee (TLF) of 1% of the applicable land rate multiplied by the turf area. The land rate will be based on Ready Reckoner rate prevailing in the year in which approval is granted, with the same principle applicable at the time of renewal.BMC Estates Department has identified the scale of its landholdings as a key reason for framing the policy. According to the circular, the department has allotted around 4,177 plots on lease for various periods, including leases in perpetuity and those ranging from 999 years to 30 years. Some of these plots are being used by lessees or third parties for cricket, football and other sports turfs.Under the policy, permission will be considered only where such use is permissible under the original lease conditions, Development Plan and Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034. The permission will not amount to a change in land use.The policy specifically allows sports turfs on municipal leasehold land where the activity is permissible, including vacant land under Vacant Land Tenancy (VLT). However, permanent, covered or RCC construction will not be permitted under the policy. BMC has also clarified that sports turf will mean a demarcated play area with artificial or natural surfaces, including removable fixtures such as nets, poles and lighting.Applicants will have to submit documents including a detailed layout and turf area plan, stability certificate, PAN/GST registration, lease or third-party agreement, and a registered undertaking to comply with the conditions. If the applicant is not the lessee, an NOC from the lessee will also be required.Permission will be issued for one or three years, subject to renewal and the remaining lease period. BMC can cancel the permission if conditions are violated and recover or forfeit the licence fee. It can also direct removal of a turf within one month, at the applicant’s cost, without refund of the amount paid. In a bid to bring existing unauthorised turfs into the regulatory framework, BMC has proposed a one-time amnesty scheme. Existing as well as newly proposed turfs that apply during the one-year amnesty period will be eligible for a 40% concession on the applicable Turf Licence Fee, subject to the municipal commissioner’s approval.This means eligible applicants will pay 60% of the calculated fee during the amnesty period. The concession will apply only to the initial approval period and will not extend to subsequent renewals.The civic body has also warned that the concession will not continue indefinitely. Turfs found operating without permission after one year from the circular’s issuance will attract a penalty equivalent to five times the applicable Turf Licence Fee. BMC will also have the power to seal the premises and discontinue the activity.The civic administration plans to eventually shift the entire process online, including applications, scrutiny, approvals, fee payments, demand notices and renewals. Until a dedicated portal is operational, applications will continue to be processed through the existing offline system.