Kochi: In a major procedural lapse, Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor was reportedly handed over to a private sponsor, Anto Augustine, for renovation work connected to the proposed Argentina football match, without any formal contract being signed.

Despite the absence of a binding agreement, large-scale renovation and construction activities worth several crores have been carried out, raising serious concerns over how public property is being managed by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and other government agencies.

According to reports, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier this month had agreed in principle to a tripartite agreement between GCDA, Sports Kerala Foundation, and the sponsor. The meeting, attended by Industries Minister P. Rajeev and other officials, decided on this arrangement, but the agreement was never formally executed.

The minutes of the Chief Minister’s meeting were released on October 24, by which time it was almost certain that the Argentina team would not be visiting the state in November. Since then, there has been no clarity on whether any steps were taken to finalise the tripartite agreement. The file reportedly has not even reached the Law Department for further developments.

Despite the lack of a contract, the sponsor has continued extensive renovation at the stadium, including reconstruction of the pitch, replacement of all seating, and removal of floodlights. The sponsor had promised to complete the work by November 30.

The Kaloor Stadium is public property owned by GCDA, and any handover requires a formal agreement specifying conditions and rent. Even in cases where rent is waived, proper procedures involving the Local Self-Government Department must be followed — which, in this instance, were reportedly ignored.

If the sponsor stops work midway, the government and GCDA have no legal recourse to hold the sponsor accountable due to the absence of a contract. The responsibility for this procedural failure now falls squarely on the GCDA, Sports Department, and state administration.

The Sports Kerala Foundation, under the Sports Department, had been designated as the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for coordinating the event. Therefore, Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman is expected to clarify the legal and procedural basis under which the stadium was handed over to the sponsor.