MHA nod awaited for renaming Talkatora Stadium, says Minister
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for changing the name of Talkatora Indoor Stadium to Maharishi Valmiki Stadium and will be passed in the next council meeting once it is approved, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister and NDMC Chairman Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Thursday.
'I have talked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The proposal is pending with him. Whenever it gets cleared from there, we will pass that in the next NDMC council meeting,' Singh told reporters after the civic body's council session.
The announcement to rename the Capital's oldest indoor facility came during the campaign by the BJP for the Assembly elections held earlier this year. Singh, who was contesting against former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, had made the announcement.
Soon after he took oath as an NDMC member, he had promised to rename the stadium after Maharishi Valmiki, the author of the Ramayana.
Built in 1974, the stadium derives its name from the adjacent Mughal-era garden. 'Talkatora' originates from two Persian words: 'tal,' meaning a tank, and 'katora,' meaning a bowl-shaped natural depression. The stadium is known for hosting some of the biggest sports, cultural, and political events.
For the name change, the proposal has to go through various steps, made in accordance with the guidelines provided by the MHA.
According to NDMC procedures, a name-change request must be submitted to its General Administration Department. After which, the proposal is then placed before its 13-member Council for approval. Once passed, it is sent to the Delhi government's Urban Development department for final clearance.
Following the council meeting on Thursday, NDMC vice-chairperson Kuljeet Chahal said that the BJP government is committed to fulfilling its promises. 'The council is underway to get clearance, more shall be discussed in the next meeting,' he said.
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