Mumbai: After a period of 33 years, former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has returned a plot in Mumbai that was allotted to him by the government three decades ago in order to set up a cricket academy. However, the project never saw the light
Finally, an official from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), has confirmed that Gavaskar has returned the plot on Wednesday. The issue came to light after State Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad raised his concerns about it.
State Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad had last year expressed displeasure over Gavaskar not utilising the plot in suburban Bandra, where a cricket academy was proposed, even after 30 years of the allotment. However, after eight-month-long deliberations and meetings with partners of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state, Gavaskar has now returned the plot to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority.
Awhad also confirmed that Gavaskar had written a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray informed that he could not set up a cricket academy on the Bandra plot given to him years ago.
More than 33 years have passed since the Maharashtra government allotted a 20,000 sq feet plot in the Bandra-Kurla complex to Cricket Legend Sunil Gavaskar to develop an indoor cricket academy.
In 1988, MHADA had allotted the plot next to Rang Sharda at Bandra Reclamation to Sunil Gavaskar Foundation on a 60-year lease, but Gavaskar failed to develop it.
