State cancels Cross Maidan lease Plans complex to promote football, other sports under the National Sports Policy; KSA to appeal against order

State cancels Cross Maidan lease

Plans complex to promote football, other sports under the National Sports Policy; KSA to appeal against order

The school education and sports department of the state government has issued a government resolution stating that they have cancelled the lease held by the Karnataka Sports Association (KSA) in Churchgate for a part of the Cross Maidan ground. It is planning to create a sports complex for promoting football and other sports at the ground as stipulated in the National Sports Policy. The GR issued on December 10 states that the government has decided that the lease will be cancelled and possession of the ground will be taken away from the KSA with immediate effect. “The KSA pays Re 1 as nominal fee per year. Its benefits are being enjoyed by members and only a certain section of society. The decision has been taken so that more people can avail of better sports facilities,’’ said Satish Jondhale, additional secretary, state government. Prakash Shetty, secretary of KSA, said that they will appeal against the decision. “We were supposed to renew the lease, but the government refused to do so. Though we have 250 members who avail facilities, our association undertakes initiatives such as teaching football to slum kids,’’ he said. According to the GR, the school education and sports department and social welfare departments had allotted 83,500 square feet of land on rent basis to the KSA on June 21, 1971 for the development of football. The association took possession of the ground on July 9, 1971. But the government had not signed any lease agreement with the association.