Bhatkal: A man in Bhatkal has built a hall with an investment of Rs 5 crore and has been giving it for free for various functions. 
Ramdas Prabhu, the owner of the hall, charges only the maintenance but no rent. He says that since hall rent charges are quite high, many of the parents’ wish of conducting their child’s wedding in a posh hall remains unfulfilled. Thus he decided to build a hall and charge no rent.
‘Shree Nagayakshe Dharmathra Sabha Bhavan’, the two-storied hall can accommodate as many as 800 guests. The first floor stages the hall while the ground floor is reserved for serving food.
The only condition to conduct functions in the hall is that, only vegetarian food is allowed on the premises. A first-come-first-serve based booking is done and hosts programmes irrespective of the religion. Maintenance of Rs 3,500 is charged and government programmes are charged Rs 15,000.
Ramdas Prabhu is the dharmadarshi of Sri Nagayakshe Temple from where some of the collection is pooled in for the purpose of the hall.
Though Prabhu has been appreciated for his move, the local hall owners have urged him to fix a rent as their business was suffering. Prabhu doesn’t agree with them and keeps his good work going.
