PUDUCHERRY: Following government action, the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) has temporarily suspended the Siechem Pondicherry T20 tournament with immediate effect.
Following allegations of encroachment of government land and water bodies for the construction of the cricket stadium, Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi had ordered an inquiry and subsequently, water and power connections to the stadium were disconnected. CAP was also directed to demolish part of the stadium.
CAP secretary V Chandran, in a release, said that the Lt Governor should not have issued such an order without giving them a chance to explain the factual position. The stadium has hosted many Ranji Trophy matches for the last three years and the Lt Governor was also aware of it. So what has led her to act is beyond comprehension, he said.
CAP has put its heart and soul for the last 18 years to build the stadium complex including an international cricket stadium with floodlights without taking a single rupee from the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI). It is highly regrettable to see that the government agencies under Lt Governor refuse to support the iconic cricket centre, he further said.
Chandran urged political parties to stay away from the issue and said CAP is confident to defend its case as they strictly followed the government guidelines.
The CAP secretary urged the government to take up their matter in the next cabinet meeting and to restore electricity and water connection. This would be in the interest of safeguarding the future of the children aspiring to play cricket, promotion of tourism, revenue generation, overall economic growth, and job opportunities for local communities, he said.