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Thursday, Jul 12, 2007
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Stadium issue: Mayawati in damage control mode

Special Correspondent

“No move to build Kanshi Ram memorial in the stadium”

LUCKNOW: After the Allahabad High Court ordered status quo at the Ambedkar Stadium in the State capital, the Mayawati Government launched a damage control exercise on Wednesday.

The day started with the Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association (UPOA), which claims to represent various sports bodies, issuing a statement. The association welcomed the Government’s decision to construct a 50-acre, ultra-modern stadium under the Gomtinagar extension scheme. It said the move was welcomed at the meeting of the UPOA, presided over by its vice-president and Congress MLC, Ranjit Singh Judeo. He had criticised the move to demolish the stadium in the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

The proposal to construct a new stadium was finalised at a meeting of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) here on Wednesday.

According to the proposal, the stadium would cover 50 acres, of which 40 acres will be gram samaj land, and 10 acres will be arranged by the LDA. Besides, three smaller stadia would be developed in the Gomtinagar area, which has come to be identified with New Lucknow.

The first stadium, covering eight acres, would be built in Vijayant Khand, the second spread around 4.3 acres in Viram Khand and the third on two acres in Vibhor Khand in Gomtinagar, the LDA release said.

The mini-stadium in Vinay Khand would be renovated.

Late on Tuesday night, the Government issued a statement, which reiterated that the Ambedkar Stadium was part of the Ambedkar Memorial Park situated next door and the stadium would be incorporated in the park.

The Government denied that a memorial for Kanshi Ram would be built in the stadium, and clarified that construction on the Ambedkar Memorial would be constructed in the sports arena.

The Government release added that the families of five stadium employees had given affidavits that they had voluntarily vacated the quarters and had no complaints with anyone.

The release came after the court stayed the demolition of the stadium.

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