JUDGMENT

In the month of August every year, people from all over the world flock to Alleppey to witness the exhilarating Nehru Trophy Boat Race held at the Punnamda Lake. It is a fiercely competitive event and the tranquil lake front is transformed into a sea of humanity with an estimated two lakh people, including tourists from abroad, landing in the sleepy town to watch the event. For the people of neighbouring villages of Kuttanad, a victory at this race for their village boat is something they cherish for years. They take part with much vigour and cheer their men from the banks of the lake.

2. The State saw this as a business opportunity and started charging the visitors based on the comforts provided to them. Ticket charges range from Rs.100/- to Rs.3,000/-. Tickets can be purchased online by logging on to the website http://nehrutrophy.nic.in. The fortunate few who manage to get the tickets and are prepared to suffer all the discomforts can watch the great spectacle by sitting on the lawns, galleries or the pavilions erected for the purpose by the organizers, the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (“NTBRS” for the sake of brevity). As it occurs everywhere, the prime seats are t