CM inaugurates new facilities in Jammu Club, hails management

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called for expansion of sports and social activities across the State for good health of the people in the present fast life. He said indoor game facilities coupled with library provided opportunity to people and reading and sports activities.
Speaking after inaugurating conference hall, library, party halls, billiard room and multi cuisine restaurant `The Olive’ at Jammu Club, which had been constructed at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore, Omar appreciated efforts of the Managing Committee and hoped it would continue endeavour for further development of the Club.
“No doubt Jammu Club was facing space crunch but the Managing Committee should make best and judicious use of current space available to them”, he asserted at a well- attended function of the Club.
The Chief Minister said the Government would extend support to the Club in future also if the Managing Committee continued its endeavour for development of the Club. He noted that the Jammu Club now has best infrastructure across the country.
He appreciated the efforts made by the managing committee in completing the construction projects in record time.
Highlighting importance of the Library, Omar said it was the best way to pull out the children from Television and Video games and “we should provide other options to them to enhance their sporting viz education skills”.
Referring to condition of the hall, he said the Managing Committee of the Club and the members associated with it should take steps for its face lifting.
Sudhanshu Pandey, Principal Secretary, PDD and vice president, Jammu Club, in his speech said for the past quite few years, Jammu Club was scaling new heights.
He hoped that the Management Committee and the members associated with the Club would continue with their endeavour and work for its further development to make it number one Club across the globe.
Earlier, Raman Samotra, Secretary, Jammu Club, presented the welcome address and mentioned that the month of April has been auspicious in the history of Jammu Club.
He said that Jammu Club building was inaugurated by former J&K Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on April 13 in the year 1978.
“The Squash Court, Swimming Pool and the Health Club complexes were inaugurated two years back by Omar Abdullah in the month of April and the project of Library, Conference Hall, Billiards Hall, Party Hall and the cuisine restaurant “The Olive”, have been dedicated to the members of the Club by Omar in the same month of April”, Mr Samotra added.
He further said that the total project has been completed at an approximate cost of Rs 2.10 crores against a projected and approved cost of Rs 2.07 crores in a total period of 18 months.
“For these projects, the Government has released an amount of Rs 50 lakh, with which this project was made possible”, Mr Samotra said, adding, an amount of Rs 1.27 crores has been collected from the members as development fund and the balance amount of Rs 33 lakh has been funded out of the fixed deposits available in the bank.
“With the addition of the new facilities and the demolition of the old library, which was obstructing the view of the rear lawn and always gave a very narrow look to the Club as a whole, the rear and the front lawns have been merged, which has given a beautiful and more spacious look to the club”, he added.
Mr Samotra said that now the members from different affiliated clubs in the country would visit the Club and surely feel proud after viewing the infrastructure and the facilities available in the Jammu Club, which were comparable with the best Clubs in the country.
He assured the Chief Minister that they will create world class facilities for the members in times to come and also expressed gratitude to the members of the club for their support in this project.