Some of the sports and games associations are unlikely to find a place in Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium complex as the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation officials are apparently “not satisfied” with the replies given by these associations to their queries.
Axe is likely to fall on the associations that do not comply with their stated objectives. The Corporation, sources say, would ask them to vacate the stadium premises.
Associations of table tennis, netball, volleyball, tennis ball cricket, badminton, cricket, football, archery, carroms and handball were among the 13 associations that responded to the letters sent by the VMC. Barring the cricket association, none of the associations that responded to the letter written by Municipal Commissioner P. S. Pradyumna on August 27 gave “proper and up-to-date information” to the VMC about their activities.
Legal vetting
While some of them did not provide the latest documents regarding registration or renewal of registration, others did not explain about the activities taken up for the promotion of their respective disciplines. The officials, hence, sent the documents for “legal vetting”. It would issue show cause notices to the associations that have not responded to the letters and to the associations that have not provided requisite information, sources say.
The prime contention of the Corporation is that the sports associations were “not doing any justice” to the space allotted to them in the stadium complex. The VMC feels that the space provided to them is being “misused”, and rules were being flouted by doing such things as allowing liquor and smoking in the rooms and on the premises of the stadium, sources say.
Mr. Pradyumna, in his letter, asked the associations to furnish details of their registration and authorised members with evidence. He also asked them to list out the activities carried out for the development of their sport or game in 2008; details of tournaments and competitions conducted, and list of players and athletes selected for State or national level tournaments.
This is second time the Corporation is taking a serious view of the activities of sports and games associations. Though it was a different perspective, the then Municipal Commissioner Natarajan Gulzar, in 2006, asked the associations to vacate the premises as they were not paying the rent for more than three years, He pointed out that the section 148 (1)(2)(3) of HMC Act 1955 does not permit the Corporation to provide free accommodation to any sports association. But, the Standing Committee annulled the decision to collect rent from the associations, sources say.
