Punjab sports council puts PCA on a sticky wicket

Chandigarh, Oct 31 (UNI) The Punjab Sports Council put the Punjab Cricket Association on a sticky wicket today as it moved the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Mohali, Mr Sandeep Hans, to get back approximately 15 acres of land which has been allegedly taken over by the PCA ''illegally'' in 1992.

The Punjab Sports Council has filed the petition under the PP Act. Besides getting back the Government land on which the modern PCA Stadium has been built in Mohali, the Punjab Sports Council has also prayed for recovery of Rs 150 crore which the PCA earned as profit by using the Government land and also sought compensation of Rs 50 crore as damages.

When approached, Punjab Sports Council secretary Pargat Singh admitted that the Sports Council had filed the case with the Mohali SDM today.

The PCA has been given until November 15 for reply. The case was filed as the Sports Council did not get any reply from the PCA to its notice sent earlier.

It may be recalled that some time back, the Punjab Sports Council had sent a notice to the PCA to return the land under its (PCA) possession illegally. The PCA had sought time since the case related to way back 1992.

The Council has charged that the lease deed signed for 99 years to transfer the land to the PCA is illegal. Inderjit Singh Bindra, who was also the then Secretary Sports, Punjab Government and also the president of the Punjab Cricket Association, had signed the lease deed on behalf of the Punjab Government.

Asked whether the Sports Council move was timed with the on going ICC Champions Trophy, Pargat Singh, who is also the Director Sports, Punjab Sports Department, said ''the case was already in the process and it was not aimed in any way to disrupt the Champions Trophy semi-final slated for November 2 or any other CT matches.'' UNI XC DP DB PM VV1525