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Political game leaves shuttlers in the lurch
IN THE ongoing battle of attrition between the UP Badminton Association (UPBA) and the State Government over the shifting of the badminton academy building, the losers are the sports buff.
IN THE ongoing battle of attrition between the UP Badminton Association (UPBA) and the State Government over the shifting of the badminton academy building, the losers are the sports buff.
Like last year, the prevailing impasse on shifting the academy building has once again cast its shadow on the prestigious Syed Modi International Badminton Championship. Initially scheduled to take place in the State Capital in December, the event would now be held in New Delhi. The first edition of the tournament in the city was called off at the last moment in 2005 also because of the UPBA-government stand-off.
Subsequently, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the shifting of the academy building located adjacent to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Park was filed in the High Court here. The HC had ordered maintenance of status quo on the subject after the UPBA in a written submission alleged that it was being coerced by the State Government to agree to the relocation plan to facilitate expansion of the Lohia Park.
And though the status quo ordered by the HC has expired ever since both the parties to the dispute have decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy for the time being. “Though we are waiting for the right situation. The venue for the US $30,000 show in all probability would be New Delhi,” said a senior office-bearer of the UPBA requesting anonymity.
On the other hand, the LDA, the agency dealing with the relocation issue on behalf of the State Government still seems to be smarting under the setback it suffered after the UPBA reneged from its consent on shifting the badminton academy building.
The volte face by the badminton association seems to have put paid to the LDA’s plan for the expansion of Lohia Park. Starting with 58 acres initially, the park’s first expansion took place last year, when the authorities decided to merge the 10-acre chunk of garden being looked after by a hotel in the vicinity with the park. It presently encompasses 80 acres. But with the move to combine the additional 10- acre each of the UP Badminton Academy and the power sub-station land in the vicinity, the Park would have become one of the largest of its kind in the country.
It was to achieve this feat that the LDA Board on May 2, given nod to the alternate land being offered by it to the UPBA as part of the move to shift the academy building to Vijayant and Vibhuti Khand of Gomti Nagar.
The development agency had offered 7.9 acres and 2.5 acres of land in Vijayant and Vibhuti Khand of Gomti Nagar respectively. Besides, it was also agreed that the State Government would compensate the money spent (approximately Rs 4 crore) on the under construction Badminton Academy by the association. The only hitch that had prevented the pact was UPBA’s demand for greater ground coverage for the 7.9 acres playfield that was offered to it in Vijayant Khand against the prescribed ground coverage of around 5 per cent in the area.
This was because the academy building would be an indoor stadium, said the association. With both parties biding their time, the last word on the power, is yet to come.
