*Players likely to miss this year’s sports activities too
Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 20: The much awaited Swimming Pool inside the premises of MA Stadium where up-gradation work was allotted four year back by the J&K Government, will take six months more to become all weather.
The up-gradation work of the project is being executed under languishing projects with an estimated cost of Rs 3.50 crores, out of the final approval cost of the project Rs 5.30 crores.
During allotting the remaining funds for the completion of the all weather Swimming Pool in the month of February 2019, the then Governor Satya Pal Malik as well as a high powered committee framed for languishing projects asked the executing agency to complete the work of the said project within six months.
The unlimited delay on part of the executing agency, the players have been deprived of the facilities of the Swimming Pool for the last four years, now the executing agency is asking it will take six months more to complete it.
“Just after the announcement regarding making of existing Swimming Pool would be developed into all weather Swimming Pool, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC) had stopped the sports activities inside the premises, since then the players of the said discipline are getting training at that Pools which were established inside the private commercial buildings,” said sources while wishing anonymity.
“However, the Council has given the deadline to complete the work within stipulated 2-3 month so that upcoming water sports can be held here but due to the ongoing pace of work of the said contractor, it would definitely take nearly six month to complete the all weather Swimming Pool,” said sources.
The sources further added that the outer structure of Swimming Pool which makes it all weather is almost completed but tile works inside the Pool as well as installation of heating facilities and some remaining works of outer decoration and mechanical works are still pending. “For the past few months, the up-gradation work on the said project is going on full swing by the incumbent contractor as compared to another contractor who was hired earlier by the J&K Sports Council for the up-gradation of said project,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Swimming Pool inside MA Stadium premises was established and inaugurated by the then Governor of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, KV Krishna Rao in 1993, while the proposal for making it all weather was proposed by the Council in the year 2014 after repeated representations made by the players for making it functional throughout the year.
The decision to make it all weather was taken by then Governor of erstwhile State of J&K, Satya Pal Malik who took interest and asked the high powered committee to allot sufficient funds for it but unfortunately, the players could wait some more time to do practice here in the upgraded facilities, sources said.
Executive Engineer of the J&K Sports Council, Sarwar Mehmood told Excelsior that the up-gradation work of the Swimming Pool will take six month more to complete. “Although, civil work is almost near to completion, subsequently the mechanical works including heating system which make it all weather would be installed,” he asserted.
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