Indain Express 22.12.2009
Civic body okay to Kotla ODI, but at DDCA’s ‘own risk’
If you are among the lucky few who manage to get a ticket for the India-Sri Lanka One Day International at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium this Sunday, watch it at your own risk. That seems to be the message from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which has grudgingly given a go-ahead for the match.
Having initially denied permission to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) from using the stadium to host the cricket match, the civic body’s permission comes with a rider: the host association would hold the tie at its “own risk”, a top source in the MCD told Newsline on Monday.
According to the source, the permission was granted to DDCA at the “last moment, keeping in mind the national interest”.
In a letter to DDCA on December 18, the civic body had stated that permission to use the stadium could not be granted as the cricket association did not have the necessary “structure stability certificate” and NOCs (No Objection Certificates) from the Chief Fire Officer, assistant electrical inspector and the additional commissioner (revenue).
Newsline has a copy of the letter.
But since “national interest was involved”, the civic agency finally gave the go-ahead on December 20, after DDCA “paid around Rs 6 lakh as the due tax amount”, according to the source. The source added: “Since the other clearances could not be obtained at such a short notice, we have given them a provisional clearance. Now the match can be hosted at DDCA’s sole responsibility.”
The DDCA had earlier written to the civic body to grant it provisional occupancy certificate for the stadium from December 1 to December 31, as is the norm. But last week, the chief vigilance officer of MCD wrote to the MCD additional commissioner, stating that DDCA did not have the required clearances, according to the source.
