KCA firm on Edakochi stadium

KOCHI: Despite negative remarks from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Sports Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has decided to persist with efforts to construct an international cricket stadium at Edakochi.“An environment impact assessment study will be done shortly and a final proposal will be submitted to the government,” KCA secretary T C Mathew told reporters after the KCA annual general body meeting here on Sunday.“A government panel as well as a parallel committee instituted by the KCA, like the IIT, Chennai, or the Anna University, will conduct the studies.” He said Sports Minister Ganesh Kumar had declared the international stadium project as a closed chapter owing to misunderstandings. “We have not submitted any proposal regarding the project to be rejected. We will submit a final proposal after the environment impact study is over. We are still hopeful of the new stadium coming to fruition and we will try our best to convince the authorities on the benefits of the stadium. We have spoken to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and he said that he needed to study the matter before making a decision,” Mathew said.Having arrived at a consensus with warring factions, the AGM decided to dissolve the Kozhikode District Cricket Association (KDCA) and put in place an adhoc committee to conduct the district league matches there by September 30. The arrangement was made after conciliatory talks with a parallel body formed recently with MLA M V Sreyamskumar as the secretary. Elections to the KDCA will be held once the league matches are completed.“It will be an amicable solution,” KCA president T R Balakrishnan said.“We will get 100 per cent help from Shreyamskumar also.”  Time has also been extended for the Thiruvananthapuram District Cricket Association (TDCA) till November 30 to conduct the league matches so that elections could be held to the TDCA.Prior to the AGM, the members of the Thrissur District Cricket Association, dissolved in 2008, draped themselves in banners alleging malpractices by KCA and raised objections regarding the functioning of the association RIOR