Tripura CM to look into alleged discrepancies in cricket stadium settlement in state

Amid claims of alleged discrepancies in the memorandum of settlement regarding the construction of an international cricket stadium in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha assured the Assembly that he would look into the matter.

Saha’s assurance came after senior Congress member Sudip Roy Barman wondered why the Tripura Cricket Association agreed to the clauses of the pact, because of which the High Court of Tripura has asked the TCA to pay Rs 25 crore to a Jharkhand-based construction company within only five days.

Shortly after the Zero Hour, Roy Barman raised the issue of the settlement between the TCA and the construction company.

"The High Court on March 20 asked the TCA to pay Rs 25 crore, out of a total of Rs 28 crore, within five days as cost escalation due to delay in construction of the stadium. The rest of the money shall be given to the company by July," Roy Barman said, quoting the order.

The way TCA hurriedly had agreed to pay the reconciliation money is bound to raise allegation, he said.

Claiming that the judge who passed the order is due to retire on March 25, the Congress leader urged the chief minister to ask the TCA to challenge the order of the single bench ruling.

Roy Barman said that earlier, in response to an arbitration case regarding the construction of the stadium in West Tripura district, the TCA had to pay Rs 13 crore to the firm due to cost escalation, out of which Rs 9.04 crore was paid.
In response, the chief minister said the TCA is an autonomous body guided by the BCCI.

"The state government cannot intervene in any matter involving the TCA. But in case of any law and order problem, the police can take steps. I will look into the matter," the chief minister said.

When contacted, TCA Secretary Subrata Dey said the court has taken a proactive role in resolving the impasse over the construction of the cricket stadium following a request from the state cricketing body as well as the construction agency.

"Arbitration is a lengthy legal process. Both the TCA and the construction agency had agreed to resolve the issue at the earliest as the work had already consumed seven years. I don't see any foul play in it," Dey said.

The Rs 185 crore tender for construction of the state's first international cricket stadium at Narsinghgarh in West Tripura was floated seven years back.