2nd of a series of expose
By: Saumit Singh
The lease agreement between the NSCI and the BMC, accessed through RTI, show that the Olympic stadium and an adjoining club house had been let out to the former for 99-years in 1951 for an annual rent. The deal was that they could use the club house for their leisure activities while they would maintain the size Olympic stadium, which was suitable to host national and international sports including athletics, cycling, football and hockey.
The NSCI was allowed to earn some revenue by renting the stadium to other sports bodies for sporting events alone – any exceptions needed clearance from the Municipal Commissioner. The rate – per function day – was fixed at Rs 1.33 lakh, with 50% percent of the profit to be shared with the BMC. Another condition was that the stadium was to be made available for the use of school children, while the BMC would get access to it for at least 15 days in a year.
The stadium’s velodrome – the only one in the city – was used to film the climax of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, in which Aamir Khan participates in a cycle race. Between Shivaji Park and Marine Drive, it was also the only free open air stadium ground accessible for children to play. The lease agreement specified that the Olympic stadium should “be open for the use of school children and registered sports organisations” on non-event days.
Marked as a green area in the land survey, the stadium plot abuts the Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mumbai’s last remaining green lung, and falls under strict Coastal Regulation Zone rules. In a letter dated November 2002, PV Deshmukh, deputy secretary, Urban Planning, clarified that the “the land under reference falls in CRZ II area” and therefore, the repairs and reconstruction of the stadium were being “permitted subject to existing FSI norms and without change in the existing use”.
Deshmukh, incidentally, made the letter from the Urban Development department look like a clearance from the MoEF. A copy of that letter has been procured. In the Adarsh scam, Deshmukh has been indicted for issuing a similar letter, which misled the BMC.
But what even more intriguing is that NSCI members themselves were never consulted or taken into confidence about the indoor stadium project. “The redevelopment was never approved by the general body. Members were not told what the final plan was. Even I came across several documents which raised doubts about the legality of the indoor stadium. I have asked the management whether the stadium is on a green zone. In such a case the indoor stadium would face a problem as it falls in CRZ II,” said one NSCI member.
Another member who has been agitating for the members and highlighting irregularities in the club added, “We have asked the NSCI management to clarify our doubts on various matters but they have not replied to us.”
The former Olympic Oval which housed a football field has now been reduced to a central arena of 60 meters diameters. From an open air stadium, it has become a ground plus one structure with basement parking. The project plan, prepared by Shashi Prabhu and Associates, shows the central arena ringed by 8 giant halls on each floor – a total of 16 halls – which according to the NCSI design basis report will be leased out “popular vendors” to set up Asian, Thai, Italian and Japanese restaurants, banquet halls, and consumer stores.
Asked why an Olympic size stadium meant for football, hockey and racing has been reduced to a central arena of 60 meters diameter, NSCI president BC Chawla said, “Why would anyone want to play football here? Only a mad man will think like that. I have nothing to do the permissions, but this is my baby and I want to see it completed. If you have questions, ask the secretary.”
On his part, the secretary Jaisingh Choraria said, “I don’t know who permitted the open air stadium being converted into an indoor stadium because I wasn’t an office bearer in 2003. But I will say that we have all permissions because how else could we have started this project?”
