Suhail Bhat
BARAMULLA, Dec 16: Despite being inaugurated about five months ago, the Indoor Stadium in the Mirgund area of Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district is still non-functional, disappointing the local sports enthusiasts.
The facility was officially opened by Nisith Pramanik, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Youth Affairs and Sports in June of this year as part of the Union Government’s special outreach program to get a first-hand assessment of various developmental parameters in the region.
The building has been under construction for the past five years at a cost of approximately Rs 3.83 crores with the goal of increasing sporting events in the area, but it remains closed to sports fans. “Despite being opened five months ago, the facility is still inaccessible to the general public. We were thrilled that young people could finally use it. Why would they inaugurate a building that was only partially finished, or why are they not putting it to use?”, a local sports lover said.
Abdul Majeed, Manager of the Sports Council Baramulla, said that finishing work is currently being done on the building even though they have not yet officially taken its possession. “We have not taken over the buildings, and some finishing work is being done by our engineering wing,” he said, adding that the facility would be made available to the public within the next few months.
In contrast to what he said, an official with knowledge about the Stadium told Excelsior that there was a dispute over the building’s inauguration between the local administration and the Sports Council since both wanted to claim ownership of this facility.
“The local administration refused the Council’s request to officially open the facility, but they did so anyway, claiming that the Sports Minister was the best person to do so. The conflict has significantly slowed down the procedure,” an official said.
Officials at Jammu and Kashmir Projects Corporation Company Limited also informed Excelsior that the facility had been handed over to the Sports Council. “We have completed the construction work and handed over the building to the Sports Council,” he added.
The sports stadium was sanctioned to provide multi-utility sports facilities for the youth of the area and engage them in productive activities. The project started in 2017 and was intended to be completed in two years, but four years have already passed. According to officials, the pandemic and the scenario that emerged after August 5th, 2019, slowed down construction.
The sports activities like basketball, badminton, chess, carom, snooker, and other games were on the list of the authorities. “We wanted youth to come to these places and spend time in a more positive manner, helping in their overall development,” an official said.
The local youth, who had been thrilled about the development, are dissatisfied. “We thought we would finally get something to channel our energies into, but it turns out that the government is not even serious about these projects,” a youth, Sahil Ahmad, said.
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