Though the preparations by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) to renovate the gallery of the Ambedkar Stadium and handing it over to the Kerala Football Association (KFA) is progressing, the sanction for the plan of the building to rehabilitate the vendors at the stadium is pending which may delay the whole process, believes a GCDA official.
According to GCDA Chairman N Venugopal, the GCDA submitted the plan for the building to the Kochi Corporation for approval three months ago. “But we are yet to receive the sanction. Since Kochi is being considered as one of the venues for the 2017 under-17 world cup, it is important to complete the work and hand over the stadium to KFA as per the lease agreement. But without getting the approval, we will not be able to carry on with the work,” he said.
As per the pact inked between the GCDA and the KFA, the Ambedkar Stadium, owned by the GCDA, will be leased out to KFA for 20 years at the rate of `50,000 per annum. The KFA will lay football turf as per the standards suggested by FIFA, install floodlights and set up other primary facilities in the stadium. Service charge, water charge and electricity charge will be taken care of by the KFA while the GCDA has to renovate the gallery and increase the ground for laying new football turf before handing over the stadium to the KFA.
Regarding the remarks made by the GCDA Chairman, Deputy Mayor B Bhadra said that such building plans are approved at the executive level itself. “However, we will check the files and take the necessary steps if there is any delay on the officials’s part in approving the plan,” she said. Meanwhile, Mayor Tony Chammany was not available for comment.