Some of the biggest names in the corporate world, politically-connected builders and diamond merchants were allotted 37 hospitality boxes in the newly renovated Wankhede stadium by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) before the World Cup in February.
The fully furnished boxes were given out for ten years and are believed to have fetched the association Rs 3.75-5 crore each. Club insiders said the Sharad Pawar-led MCA invited bids for only 19 boxes and alleged that the remaining ones may have been given away arbitrarily to the well-connected.
The MCA's bid document, a copy of which was made available to TOI, stipulates that a bidder cannot submit bids for more than two hospitality boxes. TOI contacted several MCA officials, but none wanted to come on record and say if there was a tender process in place at all before giving away these boxes.
According to a list obtained by TOI, Union minister and NCP leader Praful Patel was allotted a 15-seater box in the MCA pavilion. "I don't have a box," Patel sent a text message to TOI. When told that his name was on the list, the minister for heavy industries replied, "Sorry, wrong. I had recommended for friends, not for myself." Asked which friends he had recommended, Patel said he had suggested industrialist Sajjan Jindal's name. Asked how he could recommend anyone when the MCA had invited bids, Patel said there was no bidding for the boxes. "The box is not mine. I have not paid for it," he insisted.
The list shows that Reliance Industries bagged three boxes, Aditya Birla Group got three, while Raymond, Shapoorji Pallonji, Jindal, Sajjan India, Essar, Bajaj, HDFC, TCS, Citibank, HSBC, Kotak Mahindra, Mafatlal, SBI, Gannon Dunkunley, JP Morgan, Nimbus, United Breweries, Naman Developers and Intelnet Global got one each.
Rich hospitality:
* Each corporate box, sold at 3.75-5 crore, has a seating capacity of 15-20. Has chairs and sofas, live TV, a pantry, toilet, modern communication facilities and independent entrance and sitting privacy.
* There are 34 boxes in the south stand and 25 boxes in the north stand.
* The list of allottees includes prominent business groups, politicians, diamond merchants and builders.
* Some have got three boxes. The MCA's tender document said no one could bid for more than two boxes.
The fully furnished boxes were given out for ten years and are believed to have fetched the association Rs 3.75-5 crore each. Club insiders said the Sharad Pawar-led MCA invited bids for only 19 boxes and alleged that the remaining ones may have been given away arbitrarily to the well-connected.
The MCA's bid document, a copy of which was made available to TOI, stipulates that a bidder cannot submit bids for more than two hospitality boxes. TOI contacted several MCA officials, but none wanted to come on record and say if there was a tender process in place at all before giving away these boxes.
According to a list obtained by TOI, Union minister and NCP leader Praful Patel was allotted a 15-seater box in the MCA pavilion. "I don't have a box," Patel sent a text message to TOI. When told that his name was on the list, the minister for heavy industries replied, "Sorry, wrong. I had recommended for friends, not for myself." Asked which friends he had recommended, Patel said he had suggested industrialist Sajjan Jindal's name. Asked how he could recommend anyone when the MCA had invited bids, Patel said there was no bidding for the boxes. "The box is not mine. I have not paid for it," he insisted.
The list shows that Reliance Industries bagged three boxes, Aditya Birla Group got three, while Raymond, Shapoorji Pallonji, Jindal, Sajjan India, Essar, Bajaj, HDFC, TCS, Citibank, HSBC, Kotak Mahindra, Mafatlal, SBI, Gannon Dunkunley, JP Morgan, Nimbus, United Breweries, Naman Developers and Intelnet Global got one each.
Rich hospitality:
* Each corporate box, sold at 3.75-5 crore, has a seating capacity of 15-20. Has chairs and sofas, live TV, a pantry, toilet, modern communication facilities and independent entrance and sitting privacy.
* There are 34 boxes in the south stand and 25 boxes in the north stand.
* The list of allottees includes prominent business groups, politicians, diamond merchants and builders.
* Some have got three boxes. The MCA's tender document said no one could bid for more than two boxes.
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