THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the Karyavattom Greenfield Stadium is scheduled to host a T20 cricket match between India and South Africa on September 28, the KSEB has taken away its fuse citing non-payment of dues worth Rs 2.36 crore for the past three years. To make matters worse, the Kerala Water Authority has also threatened to sever water lines if they don’t pay its dues.
With just 10 days left for the T20 match, KSEB’s Kazhakoottam section office took away the fuse at the Karyavattom Greenfield Stadium due to non-payment of dues on Tuesday. The maintenance work at the Greenfield Stadium was taking place over the last five days with the help of a hired generator. In fact the security evaluation meeting ahead of the match on September 28 was also held with the help of the hired generator.
A KSEB official confirmed to TNIE that the power dues were not paid despite giving several warnings.
“It is the Kerala Sports Facility Ltd (KSFL) that is responsible for operating the Greenfield Stadium that has not paid the power and water bill dues over the past three years. The KSFL’s view is that they are unable to pay the dues without the state government’s annual annuity fund,” said a state government official.
The Kerala Cricket Association has passed the buck on the KSFL. The KSFL also owes another `2.85 crore to the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation towards tax. Now pressure is mounting on state government to resolve the crisis lest the September 28 international cricket match is affected.