Uttarakhand: State government takes control of Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], February 17 (ANI): Due to non-compliance with the instructions of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the Uttarakhand government on Saturday took over the property of Dehradun Integrated Arena Ltd, the firm authorised to operate the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here.
The state government has also taken the stadium under its control, according to an official statement.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has given instructions to strengthen sports infrastructure facilities in the state, this decision has been taken in the same sequence. This will also help in the conservation of sports assets in the state and the successful organization of the upcoming National Games, the state government said in a statement.
It is known that Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium was given to M/s ITUAL on the basis of the tender for which they formed Dehradun Integrated Arena Limited Company and signed a contract with the state government in May 2018 for its maintenance and operation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the said company had filed a case in NCLT for insolvency due to a lack of sufficient financial resources to operate the stadium.
For this, RRP Ansul Pathania was appointed by NCLT for the resolution plan. In the month of November, 2023, orders were issued by NCLT accepting the resolution plan. But the said company neither obtained approval from the state government as a new operating agency nor opened an escrow account as per the original contractual terms nor provided the required bank guarantee, but received funds from various institutions for organizing programs in the stadium, Uttarakhand government said.
After the decision of NCLT, a notice was given to M/s Dehradun Integrated Arena Ltd. as per the terms of the contract on December 12, 2023, for following the terms of the contract, cognizance of which was not taken by them and even after asking for time for the meeting, the representatives did not come for the meeting.
In the interest of conservation of the state and property, instructions were given to vacate the property by issuing a notice again on February 13, 2024, folowing which the premises were vacated by the institution today on February 17, and in the public interest, the state government has Control of the stadium has been taken. (ANI)