In an unprecedented action, multiple bank accounts of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), the Madras Race Club (MRC) and the Madras Cricket Club (MCC) have been frozen for non-payment of lease rent arrears. The money maintained in some of these accounts has been remitted to the government by banks, acting on orders from the Chennai Collector under the Revenue Recovery Act. The three organisations have disputed the quantum of lease rent arrears payable.
The action has virtually brought all routine transactions through banks to a halt in these organisations, making it impossible to pay cricketers and maintain the 650-odd race horses at the MRC stable. The TNCA and the MRC have moved the Madras High Court for relief and the petition filed by the former is expected to be heard on Friday.
According to sources, on November 9, Collector V. Anbuselvan held that the MRC had defaulted over ₹730 crore towards rent for the lands leased out in Velachery, Adyar and Venkattapuram towns and ordered the freezing of its bank accounts.
