Kochi: The Greater Cochin Development authority (GCDA) which runs the Kaloor stadium is facing allegations of violation of norms in allotting the stadium for conducting a dance event during which Uma Thomas MLA fell off the stage and suffered grievous injuries. 

RTI activist Cheshire Tarzan filed a complaint with the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau, Ernakulam unit on Friday saying that the stadium was granted for conducting a dance event, overruling the objection note recorded by the GCDA estate department which manages properties of the authority and that the decision was made at the behest of GCDA chairman K Chandran Pillai. 

Copies of files regarding the matter show that Mridanga vision Managing director Nighosh Kumar filed an application with the GCDA for permit to conduct the event at the stadium on August 23. The official is concerned with the Estate department noted on file that the stadium was handed over to Kerala Blasters FC for ISL matches from September 2024 to April 2025 and that the turf was maintained in compliance with FIFA standards, and the application cannot be considered since the stadium was allowed only for football matches.

As per the files, Chandran Pillai directed the officials to discuss the matter, and then the GCDA secretary reported that the application was discussed and that the organiser may file an online application to Kerala Blasters for an NoC, and once it is received, the allotment can be given based on rent and deposit. This shall be ratified by the Executive Committee (EC), the Secretary noted. 

The agenda note for the Executive committee prepared by the Estate department shows that Kerala Blasters issued an NoC and as per the direction of the Chairman, a rent of Rs 9 lakh, security deposit of Rs 5 lakh shall be collected subject to the ratification of the EC. An amount of Rs 15.62 lakh was fixed as the amount for allotting the stadium. This amount was credited in the account of GCDA on October 15. 

According to the complaint filed by Cheshire, the GCDA chairman and other officials colluded with the organisers for financial profits and overrode norms to allot the stadium for the event and demanded a probe into the alleged financial fraud. Chandran Pillai has said that although permission was granted to the organisers to use the stadium for the event, they erected a temporary platform for lighting the lamp event, which lasted around five minutes. "There were strict conditions on safety and other aspects in the agreement. The organisers have violated the conditions," Pillai has said. 

The proceedings issued by the GCDA on allotting the stadium show that organisers shall obtain NoC from all departments concerned and that safety arrangements shall be the responsibility of organisers. Besides it was also added in the condition that the GCDA won't be responsible for any loss.