*Up-gradation work hanging in oblivion
Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 21: The much awaited all weather Swimming Pool inside the premises of MA Stadium Jammu where up-gradation work was started in the month of February 2019 under languishing project is still incomplete after missing several deadlines.
In the month of February 2019, the same project was shortlisted under the languishing projects by the high powered committee, framed by the then Governor of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik and released the balance amount of Rs 3.50 crores for the project out of the final approved cost of the project Rs 5.30 crores.
The high level committee asked the premier body of the sports to complete the up-gradation of the swimming pool by the month of August 2019, but unfortunately the engineering wing the Council has failed to start work on the project in the first stipulated time frame. “The Council allotted the tender to a Jammu based contractor in the month of February 2020 after the one year of the announcement and decided December 2020 as deadline for the completion of the project but ironically this deadline was also missed by the contractor,” sources said.
“Just after the announcement regarding making of existing swimming pool into all weather swimming pool, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC) had stopped the sports activities inside the premises, since then the swimmers have been depriving to get facility due to dilly-dallying approach of executing agency to complete the project,” said sources.
If someone visits the spot and finds that the iron bars and other materials being used to make the swimming pool indoor are scattered inside the premises of the swimming pool and work is hanging in balance due to unknown reasons. “However, the up-gradation work is going on full swing during the lockdown period but the pace of work was slowed just after relaxed lockdown restrictions,” said sources, adding that the pace of work is going slow since the new guard of the Engineering wing of the Council assumed the charge of the office.
“It is not a saga of the swimming pool where work is either stopped or going at slow pace, there are many projects across Jammu which have been halted due to unknown reasons by the concerned officials of the engineering wing,” sources alleged.
The unlimited delay in making the existing swimming pool an all weather swimming pool is depriving the swimmers from their routine practice and the authority concerned seems least bothered about it, said a swimmer who had come here for routine practice before start of up-gradation work.
He further said that the public 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 the year 1993. “Since then the Council has been looking after its affairs but in the last over 28 years, it has failed to make it an all weather swimming pool in terms of providing a heating system. Due to the absence of heating facilities, the pool remains out of bounds for over six months for the swimmers,” he added.
A ray of hope has been generated among the swimmers after the announcement of the Government to make the existing swimming pool into all weather but dilly dallying practise of the J&K Sports Council has been disappointing the swimmers,” they said.
An official of the JKSC said that the proposal of the indoor swimming pool was put forward by the JKSC before the start of renovation works in the year 2014 so that the players could continue to do practices in all weathers but it was the then Governor of erstwhile State of J&K, Satya Pal Malik who took interest and asked the higher power committee to make it all weather swimming pool in Jammu and released sufficient funds for its up-gradation but unfortunately, the higher rung officials of the Council seems unbothered to make it functional.
Calls were repeatedly made to Xen J&K Sports Council to know his views, but he didn’t pick phone call.
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