Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
CLTA admits running cafeteria on leased Govt land in reply to show-case notice; Sports lawyers calls for lease cancellation, probe
Sports lawyer Prasang Raheja has procured copies of both show-cause notice & CLTA's reply to same
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, May 2, 2025: The Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) has acknowledged operating a cafeteria within its premises in its official response to a show-cause notice issued by the Chandigarh Administration’s Sports Department, raising serious questions about lease violations dating back over two decades.
The show-cause notice, dated January 31, 2025, was issued after a departmental audit in June 2024 revealed that a portion of the government-leased land had been sublet to a private operator without prior approval.
In a development made public by sports lawyer Prasang Raheja—who obtained both the notice and CLTA’s February 25 reply under the RTI Act—the association defended the move, citing administrative awareness of the facility since its inception in 2002.
Quoting the CLTA’s reply, Raheja highlighted a section that stated: “The decision to construct and run a cafeteria...was taken in the meeting of the Executive Committee of CLTA dated May 17, 2002, in which the representative of the Chandigarh Administration was also present.” The reply also claimed that the cafeteria served trainees and tournament participants in line with CLTA’s objectives.
Raheja, however, dismissed the explanation as legally indefensible.
“This clearly shows that CLTA has been in breach of Clause 7 and Clause 9 of the lease agreement since 2002. Rather than accepting responsibility, they are now trying to shift blame onto the Sports Department by citing the officials' presence as implicit approval,” he said.
Calling the defense “a brazen attempt to save face,” Raheja added, “It’s shocking that the department never acted all these years, raising questions about the administration’s complicity.”
He also pointed out that CLTA admitted to charging and collecting license fees from the cafeteria, crediting them to its account. “If CLTA claims these funds were used for player development, the administration must conduct a forensic audit to track where the money went. Given CLTA’s poor record in producing champion players, the claim is dubious,” he said.
Raheja also rebuked CLTA’s claims about financial stress, calling it a “smokescreen.” “They get generous funding from the Administration and corporate sponsors. Even AITA tournament expenses are borne by the government,” he said.
In conclusion, Raheja demanded immediate cancellation of the lease, recovery of unauthorized license fees collected over the years, and an internal inquiry to probe possible negligence or collusion by departmental officials.