Legendary athlete and president of the Indian Olympic Association P.T. Usha broke down on Saturday as she addressed the media about the alleged encroachment and illegal construction at the land allotted to Usha School of Athletics in Kerala's Calicut district.
Some people barged into the compound of Usha School of Athletics and began construction work, she said. "When the management confronted them, they misbehaved. They claimed that they had permission from Panangad panchayat. We complained to police and the work was stopped," news agency ANI quoted her as saying.
She said this is not the first time such an incident has taken place at the institution. "It is a growing institution, so many athletes are being trained there and this is not the first time such an incident has taken place. Safety of the girls studying there is our key concern, we still couldn't build a fence or boundary around the area," she said.
She claimed that some anti-social elements, including drug addicts, have also been entering the compound at night and dumping waste there.
The former athlete said, "We are being targeted continuously. We need to make sure of the safety of our girls. We request Kerala chief minister to interfere and resolve this issue."
