Guwahati, Feb 9 : The Veteran Cricket Association of Assam has resolved to take legal action against the demolition of the cricket coaching centre infrastructure developed by it at Judges Field.
The association expressed concern about the district administration and the Guwahati development department’s (GDD) “whimsical demolition of the infrastructure in the name of beautification of Guwahati”, at its meeting here today.
“First of all, the establishments concerned did not correspond with us about their step and demolished the structure without any notice. When we approached them with the relevant documents of land allotment for the purpose and the permission documents for the construction, we were told by the authorities concerned that the demolition was part of the beautification drive. No civil construction would be allowed on the historical ground,” said Umesh Chandra Sarma, the president of the association.
“We have moved the Kamrup (metro) district administration, vide a letter No. C/VCAA/ Coaching/2008-09, and we are yet to get any response. So we are left with the only option of taking legal recourse,” said secretary Prabir Kumar Hazarika.
“We will seek compensation for the Rs 10 lakh we have spent on it and also an alternative site because the site was allotted to us by the chief minister himself,” Sarma said.
...The funds we have already utilised include about Rs 5 lakh from MP Indramoni Bora’s local area development fund, which the deputy commissioner had released, as well as assistance from the Assam Cricket Association. Besides, there were financial contributions from our members and well-wishers...
The half-built structure for a cricket coaching centre and a yoga-cum-gym hall was demolished on January 1.
The plot, measuring 56 metres by 20 metres on the southern side of the ground, was allotted to the association vide letter No. KRS 764/2002/12 of the Kamrup (metro) DC’s office on November 14, 2002, about which the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, when approached, has expressed ignorance.
The construction was interrupted with the lockout of the ground after the 2005 Republic Day blasts on the ground.
After the ground was reopened for sporting activities, the association approached the district administration in September 2007 and March last year for the release of a pending instalment of the MP’s grant, which the administration eventually turned down saying it needed an additional clearance from the GDD minister.
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