Wankhede file to be sent soon

Mumbai: The Mumbai collector’s office will send a report on the Wankhede stadium matter to the state government.

The collector has demanded Rs 120 crore from Wankhede stadium for the renewal of its lease, and the stadium authority has not submitted any document in the last two hearings.

At a hearing held in May this year, MCA members sought more time to submit papers related to the lease. The lease agreement expired in February 2018, and Wankhede was liable to pay Rs 120 crore to the state revenue department.

Mumbai collector Shivajirao Jondhale said, “Enough opportunities have been given to MCA. Now we are preparing a report about the Wankhede stadium. This report will be sent in a week’s time to the state government for further action.”

An officer from the collector’s office claimed that they had found an illegal construction in the premises, which had permission from the Public Works Department (PWD). However, as per the officer, the PWD could not grant such permission in Wankhede stadium. The stadium was owned by the MCA. The head officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — India’s cricket body — was also in the stadium premises. The officer claimed that there was also an illegal clubhouse in the stadium.