The Times of India 02.08.2012
Civic body likely to put tennis court project on hold
VADODARA: The project of laying two synthetic tennis courts in
Bagikhana area of the city is likely to be put on hold by the Vadodara
Municipal Corporation (VMC) in the wake of raging controversy over the
project. The civic body was to develop the courts along with a garden
around it with the help of a trust and Rajya Sabha opposition leader Arun Jaitley had given a grant for the project from his MP local area development funds.
The project had been mired in controversies ever since it was brought
to the standing committee. While the committee cleared it, a controversy
was raked up regarding the fact that the trust Karan Foundation had a
BJP woman councillor and her family members as trustees.
This
was followed by allegations that the land was government land and not
that of the VMC. The BJP councillor from the locality and the opposition
also objected to the project alleging that it would serve no purpose
and a garden should come up there.
Sources said that in wake of
the controversies and to verify earlier resolutions made for development
of the plot of land, it had been decided not to start work on it
immediately. “We will also look into the issue of the ownership of the
land and then proceed with it,” said a VMC functionary.
Notably,
besides the opposition, some BJP leaders have been fanning the
controversy. Sources in the party said that this was being done to
settle personal scores.
