Cricket Ground issue dominates House, Yepthomi asked how Rs 8.29 crore got revised to Rs 74.83 crore
Source: Oken Jeet Sandham / NEPS *

Kohima, March 19 2015: Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Tokheho Yepthomi has for the third time raked up the issue of the construction of Cricket Ground at Sovima, near Dimapur urging Chief Minister TR Zeliang to constitute an "Inquiry Committee" to thoroughly investigate into the unprecedented escalation of the cost.

He said as to how the initial cost for the construction of the Cricket Ground at Somiva at Rs 8.29 crore was revised to Rs 74.83 crore.

In his starred question at the 8th Session of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly Thursday, the Congress MLA said that he wanted to know what were the additional items added to the Cricket Ground construction and how much amount of money was paid to the contractors.

Yepthomi questioned the huge investment made to the construction of the Cricket ground which was not a popular game in Nagaland while other sports infrastructures in Dimapur or other districts remained in pathetic conditions.

Another Congress MLA C Apok Jamir also asserted that instead of investing huge money in such Cricket Ground construction at Sovina, the state government should think of equitable distribution of funds for the sports infrastructures in other parts of the state.

Such investment given for the construction of Cricket Stadium at Sovima was heavy for the fact that when the state was reeling under precarious financial crisis.

Chief Minister, while replying to Yepthomi, admitted that the construction of the Cricket Ground at Sovima was still going on and assured the Member that he would direct the department to check the stadium and report back to the government.

If there was any discrepancy, the government would consider institution of "Inquiry Committee" to look into the construction of the stadium, he added.

Yepthomi also reminded the House that in spite of his third time asking the department to come up with details as to how the Cricket Stadium at Sovima was constructed, he never got proper reply till date.

"For the last seven year, the department has not given me details, and I don't want to wait another seven years to get details," the CLP leader said.

"Otherwise we can't leave things unattended" .

* The sender of this news can be contacted at nepsonline(at)yahoo(dot)com .

Comment