'Enemy land' used as playground

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 12: The Malda district administration has permitted the Malda District Sports Association to use two vacant plots of land identified as ‘enemy property’ as playgrounds. The former district magistrate, Mr CR Das, had given conditional permission for using the two plots as sports coaching centres. In response to a proposal from the DSA secretary, the former district magistrate had granted the appeal and allowed its use for sports activities “till otherwise utilised” by the Enemy Property Authority, Mumbai. In November, 2006, Mr Das had restored the enemy property located at Regent Park in Ward No 24 at English Bazaar after influential promoters attempted to deal in the plot of land. The administration has estimated the present value of the land at Rs 2 crore. The present secretary of the Malda DSA, Mr Subhasis Sarkar, said he had sought permission to use the land for setting up coaching camps for football, volleyball, cricket and other sports. “The former district magistrate had permitted us use of the land conditionally. We too want to save the land from the promoters and use it for sports activities,” the DSA official said.