'Weddings earn us maintenance funds'

It was there for all to see: The venue of the wedding of Union minister Vilsarao Deshmukh’s niece was in a shambles. There were holes drilled in the floor in the weightlifting hall to erect canopies for the reception, and the synthetic mat flooring had been scratched by iron-legged tables used for dining.

But the assistant director for sports and youth affairs at the Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex in Balewadi, Sanjay Sabnis, was not aware of any damage done to facilities in the ultra-modern sports stadia. DNA spoke with him in his office in the athletic stadium. Excerpts:

There has been damage to the flooring at the weightlifting venue...
Who says so? I have not seen any damage there. I will wait for the officials to give me the report.

What is the damage estimate you have drawn up?
There are people concerned, such the electricians and carpenters, who will give me an estimate of damage, if there is any.

Who will pay for the damages?
If there is any damage, the vendor who used the venue will have to pay.

Was any security deposit kept by the concerned parties in case of damages?
Apart from paying Rs24 lakh as rent for the venue, they have also deposited Rs5 lakh as caution money.

One of your seniors, joint director Narendra Sopal, has been quoted as saying that it was only the parking space which was given on rent for the wedding. What is your take on this?
He has been misquoted. I am here and it my duty to see to the maintenance of the venues and to manage the events happening here. I am sure he has not said anything regarding the venue.

Are there any guidelines on renting out the venues?
There are no such guidelines. Yes, if there is any sport event, we are not supposed to rent out the venue for non-sporting events. But there are no guidelines on not giving the venue for non-sporting events.

You mean to say that these venues are not just for sports, but for non-sport events also?
Why should we not rent them out? We generate revenue, which helps us maintain these venues.

Is there any such event in the near future?
So far, we don’t have anything; but if there is something, we will rent out the venue.

Doesn’t the government provide funds to maintain this venue?
It does, but it is always good to have reserve, so that in an emergency we can use these funds for maintenance.

Any sports event in the pipeline in the near future?
The football I-League is on. I have no clue of any major event in the next 30 days.