City residents slam hike in user fees of VOC gym

Coimbatore: Regular users of VOC gym are outraged by the civic body’s decision to charge a monthly fee of 300 from them.

The gym, which was set up on the corporation land near Nehru Stadium in 1991 with the equipment purchased by the public, was until recently charging just 50 from its users per month towards its maintenance and buying new equipment.

The gym was being looked after by the VOC gym trust, which was formed a few decades ago.

Students, senior citizens and disabled youths were benefitting from the gym daily. One of the users of the gym said it was the VOC gym trust that procured all the equipment by spending lakhs of rupees.

“We had secured loans, sought MP funds and approached sponsors for setting up this gym, which benefits many middle-class students seeking sports practice at the Nehru stadium. The corporation had never levied a tariff. Now, all of the sudden it claims authority over the entire trust and its properties. Demanding rent for the space is acceptable. But claiming complete control, especially imposing a monthly fee of 300 on the users, is unacceptable. All the bills and documents related to the gym are addressed to the secretary of the trust,” said a source.

A corporation official said they were now allowing only the people paying the new monthly fees to use the gym. “We have put up a notice to this effect at the gym. On December 22, 2023, we had passed a resolution on imposing a monthly fee on the gym users. We implemented it on April 18, when a notice to this effect was issued to the trust members.”

A disabled powerlifter said the sudden increase in the monthly user fees would hit the people like him. “I am restricted, as I haven’t made the payment.”

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