Kerala - Alappuzha   

VS to open Alappuzha municipal stadium

ALAPPUZHA: The Alappuzha Municipal Stadium, named after former Chief Minister, the late E.M.S. Namboodiripad, will be dedicated to the people by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan here on Saturday. The stadium is the first such one in the district, and is the realization of the long-term desire of the public here, who had sent thousands of petitions over the last several years to the Government asking for help to construct a stadium here.

Announcing this here on Wednesday, Municipal Chairman P.P. Chitharanjan said work on the first phase of the stadium, built on an 8.5 acre expanse of land bought in various phases by the municipality, had cost Rs.17 crore. The first phase had a gallery with a capacity of 13,500 persons and a 400 metre-track. The Rs.8 crore-second phase, for which a project report had been submitted to the State Government, would have a 10,000-capacity pavilion, a synthetic track, restrooms and facilities for cricket and football matches.

The inaugural function, which would be presided over by Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, would have Coir and Cooperation Minister G. Sudhakaran inaugurating the shopping complex built outside the stadium. Ministers M. Vijayakumar and K.P. Rajendran, sportspersons P.T. Usha, Shiny Wilson, I.M. Vijayan, Manoj Lal and State Sports Council president T.P. Dasan would be present among others.

Meanwhile, A.A. Shukoor, MLA, addressing a separate press conference, said the UDF had decided to boycott the inaugural function, terming the event as a political gimmick ahead of the local governing body polls by the LDF, which rules the municipal council.

Alleging that the stadium was being inaugurated without being completed just because of the local governing body polls, Mr. Shukoor said more than 40 per cent work still remained to be completed. A memorandum would be submitted to Mr. Achuthanandan pointing out these facts.

Mr. Shukoor also alleged that the decision to name the stadium after EMS was against the public desire, aired by various organizations and eminent personalities, that the stadium should be named after Mahatma Gandhi.

Later, Mr. Chitharanjan, retorting to Mr. Shukoor's comments said that the UDF was jealous of the LDF's achievement in completing the stadium and that the decision to name the stadium after EMS was an unanimous one taken by the municipal council.

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