Court orders provisional use of Kotla for IPL matches

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to issue a provisional occupancy certificate to enable the staging of Indian Premier League-5 matches at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium here.

A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Veena Birbal's gave the direction on the plea of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

The stadium, renovated by the DDCA in 2008, is the home ground of the Delhi Daredevils, who will play eight of their 16 IPL matches here.

The MCD has not issued the occupancy certificate for the stadium for non-fulfillment of certain civic formalities by the DDCA.

DDCA counsel told the court that the administrator had procured a no objection certificate for the stadium from the fire department and a structural stability certificate.

DDCA also assured the court that it may be held accountable if any untoward incidents took place because of electricity-related faults, as it was yet to furnish an NoC from the electrical department.

The civic agency, in its application, alleged that the DDCA was deliberately not fulfilling the formalities to get the occupancy certificate from it as the administrator was trying to avoid various tax liabilities towards the MCD.

According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, the DDCA is required to get the completion and occupancy certificates from the MCD before using the stadium for commercial purposes.