The Times of India              24.05.2013

Chepauk stands sealed for lack of building approval

CHENNAI: Chennai Corporation sealed three stands - I, J and K - of M A Chidambaram cricket stadium on Thursday. The stadium had not applied for permission to rebuild the stands from corporation or Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.

The Teynampet zonal officer, accompanied by his executive and junior engineers, arrived at the stadium with a copy of the Supreme Court's May 10 interim stay order. "We also had a copy of the May 14 court order saying the stands were to be opened only for that evening's match," said a corporation engineer. The officers tied a ribbon around the entrance to the newly built stands and sealed the gates.

The stands were re-constructed with neither planning permission from CMDA nor building plan approval from the civic body. On May 10, the apex court stayed a Madras high court order directing the civic body to process the application of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) seeking clearance to use the stands without permission. On May 12, the corporation re-sealed the stands that they opened in December 2012 for the India-Pakistan one-day match.

On May 14, the Supreme Court admitted a petition filed by TNCA, and permitted use of the three stands for the match played on that day, which also happened to be the last IPL match played in the city. The apex court also added that the three stands should not be used in future without the permission of the authorities.

The stands added 11,000 seats to the stadium's capacity of 33,342. The three stands were sealed in 2011 by Tamil Nadu housing and urban development department, CMDA and the corporation, and it remained under lock and seal till December 2012.

TNCA has a lot of work on its hands before re-opening the stadium, with the public works department also withdrawing the structural stability certificates given to all nine stands in M A Chidambaram stadium . It has requested them to apply afresh. The Madras High Court on May 14 had given the TNCA temporary reprieve for that day only.