HCA: Visaka Group will spend entire amount of Rs 64 crore on infrastructure in districts, says Vivek

Says will not to take even a single paise from the proceedings which were to be paid to the Visaka Group by the HCA

Hyderabad: Dr G Vivek, former President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association and now a Minister in the Telangana Cabinet, has decided in principle not to take even a single paise from the amount of about Rs 64 crores, which were to be paid to the Visaka Group by the HCA as per the legal proceedings.

“In 2004, when we signed an agreement with the HCA for the construction of the cricket stadium, paying Rs. 6.50 crores when no one was willing to come forward to fund the HCA. My father (former Union Minister G Venkataswamy) wanted to help HCA in the interest of the sport and that Hyderabad should have an exclusive cricket stadium,” Dr Vivek said at an election meeting with club secretaries (elections for the post of the President and the Secretary (Jeevan Reddy Jeevan, MSN Parma Director, was unanimously declared elected already).

---

However, Dr Vivek apparently insisted that he was not sure whether the amount would be utilised in a proper way. “My worry is that in future those who will be in charge of the HCA affairs will be fair and transparent. Because cricket was our first love, we decided to help the HCA,” he said.

A senior official informed ‘Telangana Today’that in response, HCA Joint Secretary T Basavaraju suggested to Dr Vivek that it would be better for him to spend the entire amount in creating permanent infrastructure in the districts, which should stand as a reflection of the Visaka group’s commitment too. “Once created, such infrastructure would stand forever,” he told the former HCA chief.

Srinivas of Warangal also felt that the entire amount should be spent on creating infrastructure in the districts. “The HCA will be grateful to you if you do this,” he said.
“We are all glad that Dr Vivek agreed in principle to this proposal, which should go a long way in promoting cricket in the districts,” the senior official said.

Another member, Kirtivardhan, felt Dr Vivek could spend the entire amount on his father’s name.

Among those who attended the meeting were former BCCI President N. Shivlal Yadav, joint-secretary, T Basavaraju, senior member, and Prakash Chand Jain, who also lauded Dr Vivek’s gesture.