TNCA moves HC to use 3 sealed stands

[1]

Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) on Wednesday moved the Madras High Court seeking permission to use the three new stands that have remained sealed in MA Chidambaram Stadium since August 2011.

Chennai Corporation had sealed stands I, J and K with a joint seating capacity of 12,500 seats, along with several commercial establishments built in violation of development control rules.

Hearing a petition filed by TNCA, a vacation bench comprising Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice B Rajendran asked the advocate general A Navaneethakrishnan to ascertain the government’s response by Thursday when the bench would have special sitting to hear the matter.

Appearing for TNCA, senior counsel PS Raman submitted a letter of State housing and urban development department secretary K. Phanindra Reddy granting approval to the recommendation of the multi-storeyed building panel for issuing planning permission for the three stands.

Stating that there was no difference of opinion between the government and TNCA, he also said the stadium alone could not be put to use even as the other establishments have been permitted by the Supreme Court to reopen their buildings and resume business.

Pointing out that TNCA had planned to sell tickets at Rs 500 and Rs 750, the TNCA counsel said that State would get `25 lakh as entertainment tax revenue if permission was granted to use the three stands for the semi-finals and finals of the current IPL season.

The letter according planning permission refers to the three “already completed stands” as “proposed construction”.

The approval granted under Development regulation 35 (1) of the Second Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area 2026 stipulates that they must obtain environmental clearance before the issue of completion certification, obtain NOC from traffic police and fire and rescue services and NOC from Indian Air Force before the completion certificate.