Chandigarh ends lease with tennis body over subletting shops at premises, payment issues

A UT sports department official confirmed the termination of the lease agreement with the CLTA.

The official said, “We had found four major issues regarding subletting the complex for a cafe, running a pro-shop at the complex, no proper rules followed for running the CHART (Chandigarh Academy for Rural Tennis) rural academy at the premises apart from some objections by the UT Audit department over certain payments.” The administration had issued showcause notices, the official said, adding that despite the objections, there were no satisfactory answers. “We have given them seven days to end their activities before the UT administration takes over the stadium complex.”

“CLTA avoided explanations about the money earned from the subletting of its premises.” the official told The Indian Express. It’s a private body, the official said.

“Chandigarh administration has been running its own hockey and sports academies in Sector 42 Sports Complex; Sector 42 Hockey Academy has produced Olympic medallists like Rupinder Pal Singh, Gurjant Singh and Sanjay Kumar. And the Sector 42 Football Academy has produced many international footballers,” the official said, adding that the Chandigarh sports department will also run the Tennis Complex.

The CLTA was formed on September 17, 1975, and held its tournaments from 1975 to 1987 at Chandigarh Club or Panjab University tennis court. It was in the early 1980’s that the Chandigarh administration planned a tennis stadium in the city.

Under the then Deputy Commissioner of Chandigarh, M G Devasahayam — also the founding president of CLTA — the UT administration first earmarked the north-western part of the Rose Garden as the designated place for the tennis stadium.

Ramanathan Krishnan, a former tennis player, laid the plaque for the stadium.

But due to the lack of space the venue for the stadium was shifted to the present place in the Leisure Valley in front of DAV College.

The stadium, designed by chief architect M N Sharma along with chief engineer Kulbir Singh and others replicating the Rome Colosseum, was completed in 1979.

It was on January 1, 1987, the CLTA got the stadium for a ten-year long lease from the UT administration. In 1997, the lease was again renewed for 20 years at a lease amount of Rs 100 annually.

The lease was again extended in 2017 for five years and eight months at an annual lease money of Rs 1,22,585.

Since 1987, the tennis complex has hosted a number of Davis Cup ties including Leander Paes’s maiden Davis Cup match in the form of India-Japan tie in 1990 and India-Australia Davis Cup, World Group, semi-final in 1993.

Apart from coaching tennis players in groups, CLTA also professionally coached players at the premises.

CLTA chief operating officer Megh Raj, IAS (retd), was not available for comments.