DDCA has paid major portion of due property tax: SDMC

New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said that sports body DDCA has paid a major portion of the property tax due to it, one of the issues that had raised doubts over holding of the India-South Africa test match at Ferozshah Kotla stadium.

SDMC mayor Subhash Arya said the civic body does not want to deprive the cricket-loving people of Delhi of the opportunity to enjoy the match and it's welcoming that Delhi and District Cricket Association has started to resolve the issue.

"They (DDCA) had something over Rs 6 crore due to us (SDMC) in property tax, out of which they have paid about Rs 5 crore. The rest they said, they will be able to pay after the match," Arya.

The mayor, however, did not specify the period for which this amount was due for.

Paving way for the DDCA to hold the fourth India-South Africa Test match here from December 3, a bench headed by Justice B D Ahmed directed the SDMC to issue the provisional occupancy certificate to the sporting body.

The court also appointed Justice Mukul Mudgal to oversee the affairs of the upcoming match.

DDCA, an autonomous body, since 2005 onwards has been holding international cricket matches without obtaining occupancy certificate and by obtaining provisional occupancy permission from civic bodies, as and when matches are held.

"As per the court order, we will be issuing the provisional occupancy certificate, but the sporting body will have to get the other relevant clearances from other other agencies such as Fire Department, Delhi Police, among other ones," a senior SDMC official said.

Ferozshah Kotla stadium, one of the major sporting venues in the national capital falls under the jurisdiction of the SDMC, after trifurcation of the then unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) into North, South and East Corporations in 2012.

"We also have Ambedkar Stadium under our jurisdiction, but no dispute with that facility," Arya added.

The high court bench also said that DDCA is being given the last opportunity to get all necessary long-term clearances from the Delhi Urban Arts Commission and Archaeological Survey of India and no-objection certificate from Land and Development Office and completion certificate from SDMC by March 31 next year.