The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

SPORTS

Will there be no requiem for Ferozeshah Kotla?
Plan afoot to complete stadium of
international class in ten months
M. S. Unnikrishnan

New Delhi, October 19
More than two lakh children reportedly play cricket in Delhi, yet the Capital lacks a cricket stadium of international standard. The visiting teams have made one complaint or the other about the state of affairs at the only international ground in Delhi _ the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) ground at Ferozeshah Kotla.

The Ferozeshah Kotla is an apology for a cricket ground compared to the other international venues in India like Mohali in Punjab, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Chepauk in Chennai, Chinnaswami Stadium in Bangalore and Wankhede and Cricket Club of India stadiums in Mumbai. A few years ago, the Australian team swore that they would never play an international match in a polluted, convoluted place like the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.

But all this would soon be a thing of the past as plans are afoot to build a stadium of international class in Delhi. Come November, its foundation stone will be laid and the work will start immediately after the two international matches are over in Delhi in January and February 2002. Delhi is scheduled to host a one-day International against England on January 31, 2002, followed by a Test match against Zimbabwe, starting on February 28. Work on the 50,000-seating capacity stadium will begin soon after the Test match. “The plan is to complete the stadium in nine to ten months,” disclosed Mr C K Khanna, a senior Vice-President of the DDCA as well as the Board Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Mr Khanna said that the plan to construct the stadium had been completed and sanctions secured. Since there was no international match scheduled for Delhi for the next nine months after the Test match against Zimbabwe, the work on the stadium would begin in March itself.

The DDCA Vice-President said that the stadium would have a 75-yard boundary, from the present 65 yards, a swimming pool and residential accommodation for players and guests. The DDCA already boasts of one of the best gyms in town, and other sporting facilities would be upgraded once the stadium was finished. It would also cover Kotla II and III grounds, at present being used for practice, Mr Khanna said. He said that a brand new clubhouse, with a seating capacity of 9,000, would also come up, which would be joined with the present clubhouse.

The stadium would have a modern floodlighting system to make it world-class. “It will be an international class stadium befitting the stature of the Capital city of India,” assured Mr Khanna. He said that the general enclosures would be two-tier structures in order to raise the capacity from the present 28,000 to 50,000. Cricket players in Delhi were eagerly awaiting the new stadium. Paucity of land was one of the major problems in building a cricket stadium in Delhi, Mr Khanna said. "Once the Delhi Government acceded to the demand of the DDCA to allot it the land.

ADMINISTRATION

HUDA recipe for unauthorised colonies
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 19
Here’s good news for residents of several unauthorised colonies here which have been facing the threat of demolition by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

The State Government, in a major change of its policy, has decided not to demolish those colonies which have a large population and have been more than 10-15 years old.

The decision to regularise and not to demolish the colonies was taken at a meeting of the top officials of the HUDA held in Chandigarh recently.

Residents of unauthorised colonies here have been living with fear following the demolition of over 3,000 houses of Shiv Sharma Colony of Ballabgarh in August this year which came under sharp criticism. The HUDA authorities here have already started work on the new policy.

According to it, about 90 acres of land encroached by residents of Sanjay Memorial Nagar located in Sector 48 here will be regularised soon. On the demolition list of the HUDA till recently, they will now be fully developed as a residential area.

Residents will have to pay about Rs 1,000 per square yard as development fee to the HUDA. Fifty per cent of the total amount has to be deposited in advance. “We will lay proper water supply lines, provide sewerage and other community facilities,” Mr Vijayender Kumar, Administrator of the HUDA, told The Tribune.

The authority had also decided to develop several other colonies with quality conditions. For example, about Rs 20 lakh would be spent on the development of Shramik Vihar Colony of Sector 30, he said.

The colony whose foundation stone was formally laid in 1993 has been `ignored’ for the past eight years. The colony, which has 606 registered plot owners, has not even been provided with the basic amenities.

Similarly, about 160 industrial-cum-residential plots in Sector 5 located on four acres of land acquired by the HUDA and Shiv Colony of Ballabgarh in Sector 3 are also in the HUDA list to be developed.

The authorities would charge both the rate of land and development fee in some of the areas. However, the development charges and rates of land could vary depending on the location, adds the Administrator.

Faridabad getting its act in place
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 19
The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) is finally coming out of its stupor to clean up its act. Following reports of the spread of malaria and dengue fever, the civic authorities have decided to launch an awareness campaign and involve the residents in its drive to clean up the `stinking’ areas.

The MCF Commissioner has issued a notice to residents and commercial establishments to remove all encroachments on roadside drains. Most of the drains have been covered for good by the locals and are choking with filth and dirt, thus becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

It may be recalled that 38 persons had died of dengue fever in 1996 and over 50 suspected dengue cases have been reported this year so far. Two persons died of the disease during this monsoon. As a local physician says, the MCF has so far “failed” to launch any meaningful campaign to prevent the outbreak of epidemics like dengue.

The MCF has also been under fire from the health authorities who claim that the unhygienic conditions prevailing in the city have led to the rise in incidence of malaria and dengue.

Uttar Pradesh to enforce VAT
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, October 19
According to the Uttar Pradesh Additional Trade Tax Commissioner, Mr J.P. Srivastava, the state is committed to introducing value-added Tax (VAT) system from April next year in the entire state.

Mr Srivastava was speaking at a function organised by the UP Corrugated Box Manufacturers Association to educate its members on the subject at the Sector-15 A club in Noida.

“Once the proposed system comes into force, VAT will be charged on every value addition at every stage of manufacturing and trading”, the Additional Commissioner said.

“Cut-off on inputs will also be given to manufacturers and traders. Capital goods will also be eligible for availing the cut-off”, Mr Srivastava said. He added that for capital goods, 6 per cent cut-off would be given in the first year. Elaborating on the proposed structure, Mr Srivastava said there would be only four basic tax slabs. Essential commodities would now be taxed at 4 per cent while gold, silver and gems would attract a special tax of 1 per cent. Liquor would be taxed at 20 per cent to discourage its consumption in the state.

ST reservation restored
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 19
The Delhi Government today restored the reservation to Scheduled Tribes with immediate effect for recruitment to local bodies, undertakings and organisations under the state government.

The BJP government headed by Mr Sahib Singh Verma had stopped reservations for Scheduled Tribes in October 1997.

The government then took the decision despite the state law department clearly stating that the reservation to Scheduled Tribes should not be stopped.