BMC and CAG officials inspect NSCI premises

mid-day impact >> Following this paper's report on how top club's open grounds were hived off to allegedly benefit BJP MLA's kin, officials begin clean-up

BMC and CAG officials inspect NSCI premises

National Sports Club of India in Worli

There seems to be more trouble in store for the National Sports Club of India (NSCI), Mumbai. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) officials along with civic authorities visited the Worli club for an inspection yesterday, after mid-day's report on Friday about the club allegedly violating norms by building two banquet halls and giving them to a company owned by a BJP MLA's family for operation.

The company - Plan Smart Events & Hospitality Services - is owned by Rahul Sancheti, Ranveer H Sancheti and Nisha Sancheti, family members of Chainsukh Sancheti, a five-time MLA from Malkapur in Buldhana district and vice-president of BJP Maharashtra.

NSCI president Jayantilal Shah confirmed CAG authorities' visit to mid-day. "CAG officials did visit the club. But I am not in town, so I don't know more about this. What I have been told is that they had some questions and were satisfied with the papers shown on behalf of the club," Shah said.

National Sports Club of India in Worli

As per the sanctioned Development Plan, the plot is earmarked as a recreational ground and was leased to the club for sports activities in the late '90s. The club has been accused of carrying out construction activities and also using the premises for purposes other than sports, allegations the club has refuted from Day 1. CAG is the agency that questions and audits implementation of a policy, particularly to check whether there has been any revenue loss to the govt.

A senior civic official on condition of anonymity said, "The club has been given the plot on lease by the BMC for sports activities. CAG officials will thoroughly scrutinise the ground situation to look into the allegations of the club violating the norms by using the plot for activities other than sports."

The official added that the CAG will also examine concessions (if any) given to the club by the civic body. "If the club is violating the lease norms, the CAG may raise a red flag and question it about revenue loss caused to the civic body," the civic official said.

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