Delhi High Court calls first come, first serve allotment of Ramleela grounds unreasonable
13 October 2026
Justice Amit Mahajan of the Delhi High Court has held that allotting public grounds for Ramleela on a first come, first serve basis cannot be countenanced.
The case is Rays of New Beginning Foundation v. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board & Ors., neutral citation 2026:DHC:9064, reported on 13 October 2026.
The petitioner had held the Ramleela Dussehra Mahotsav at Chunk-C Ground, Shivaji Place, Raja Garden, New Delhi in 2023 and 2024, and its application for 2026 was rejected under guidelines that called for first come, first serve allotment.
The Court said the policy is marred with blemishes, that no notice or publication had set out a specific application window, and that preference for societies which hosted the festivities in earlier years could create a de facto monopoly.
The first respondent, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, was directed to conduct a reasoned review of the applicable instructions and to frame comprehensive guidelines each year for allotting grounds for Ramleela and similar cultural or religious events, before allotment begins.
The Court did not cancel the existing 2026 allotment because the festivities were about to start, and disposed of the petition.
In plain words
DUSIB Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board — A Delhi government board that handles shelters, slum areas and certain public lands in the capital.
De facto monopoly A monopoly in practice though not in law — A situation where one party in practice controls something even without a legal right to do so.