MCA office-bearers to meet Uddhav Thackeray to solve Wankhede issue

Dr Vijay Patil

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) office-bearers will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday to discuss lease issues pertaining to the Wankhede Stadium, Azad Maidan and Cross Maidan.

While the MCA has already applied to renew the leases last year, the state government had slapped a Rs 120-crore notice on the MCA for unpaid dues and renewal of lease. The lease of the Wankhede Stadium ended in February last year. The notice issued by Mumbai City Collector Shivaji Jondhale on April 16 last year notified the
MCA to pay Rs 120 crore or vacant the plot.

The Wankhede lease issue is not the only item on the agenda that MCA president Dr Vijay Patil and his colleagues want to take up with the Chief Minister. With the ongoing Metro work eating up more than half of the Azad Maidan, the MCA will appeal to Thackeray to provide some grounds for their local matches till they get back the Azad Maidan fully.

The MCA has also disputed the Rs 13.42 crore raised by Mumbai Police for providing protection during 17 matches held in 2018. The MCA had then written to government to intervene. There is fresh hope that Thackeray will look into MCA's plea.

The last thing on the agenda is a plot in Badlapur that the MCA is keen to develop for its cricketing activities.

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