Chandigarh players hail UT admn’s decision to terminate lease of Sector-10 stadium with CLTA

Also present was Chandigarh’s numero uno tennis player Neeraj Yashpaul and Nagendra Saroha, father of Chandigarh player Ribhav Saroha, who plays in the international U-16 category.

Yashpaul alleged that since the last eight years, there has been step-motherly treatment with him at CLTA despite being Chandigarh’s number one player. “I strongly support this move, as now under the watchful eye of the Chandigarh Sports Department deserving players will be allowed to train and compete in an environment focused on excellence and fairness. Despite being Chandigarh’s top player, I was denied coaching as well as wild cards in tournaments while much lower-ranked players were given wild cards,” he said.

Raheja also demanded a forensic audit of all CLTA, CHART, cafeteria, and canteen accounts.

They have called on the administration to also institute tax investigations by income tax and GST authorities into hidden income and evasion. Lastly, they have demanded an immediate closure of the illegal hostel and sub-leasing activities.

The Sector-10 stadium, designed by then chief architect M N Sharma and his team along with chief engineer Kulbir Singh replicating the Rome Colosseum, was completed in 1979. On January 1, 1987, CLTA got the stadium for a ten-year long lease from the UT administration, which was again renewed in 1997 for 20 years at a lease amount of Rs 100 yearly.

In 1992, CLTA began its rural programme CHART. Apart from giving coaching to tennis players in groups, CLTA also provides professional coaching to players at the premises.

In 2017, the lease was extended for five years and eight months at an annual lease money of Rs 1,22,585. In 2022, the leases extended for three years for a total lease money of Rs 4.70 lakh, which ended last week.

With the UT administration not extending the lease, the department has told CLTA to vacate the premises within a week, with the deadline ending on Wednesday.

Since 1987, the tennis complex has hosted a number of Davis Cup ties including Leander Paes’s maiden match of the tournament — India vs Japan — in 1990 apart from the world group semi-final in 1993.

A UT sports department official had said last week that CLTA avoided explanations about the money earned from the subletting of its premises.

“Yes, we understand it’s a sports association but then it’s a private body. The Chandigarh Administration has been running its own hockey and sports academies in Sector 42 Sports Complex, The Sector-42 hockey academy has produced Olympic medallists like Rupinder Pal Singh, Gurjant Singh and Sanjay Kumar and the football academy produced many international footballers. So the Chandigarh Sports department is capable of running the Sector 10 tennis complex,” the official added.

CLTA COO Megh Raj was not available for comment.

From the homepage

SC on amended Waqf Act: What has been stayed, what remains

Congress seeks 70 seats in Bihar, of these 27 are ‘good’ by its yardstick

‘Despite pleading, she purposely took us to a small hospital far away’: Wife of Finance Ministry officer killed in BMW accident to cops; driver arrested