Excelsior Sports Correspondent
KATHUA, Dec 27: The lone premier sports stadium in Kathua town, whose renovation and up-gradation work was started in the year 2007, is still unfit for sports activities thus depriving the local sportspersons from basic facility.
Heaps of debris along a portion of boundary wall and pebbles are seen scattered across the uneven ground which is full of potholes while pale surface with little traces of green grass makes it unfit for most of the sports activities.
All the Mast lights installed in the stadium have gone kaput while the lone toilet block is found blocked, forcing visitors as well as players to answer nature’s call in open space.
An official informed that the 12 high frequency Mast lights were installed around the boundary wall while eight Mast lights were installed inside the pavilion recently. These lights were installed by Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (SICOP) to conduct day and night matches but the same are yet to be officially handed over to Jammu and Kashmir Sport Council.
The seven High Mast lights were installed by Director Urban Local Bodies and inaugurated by the then Minister for Local Bodies and Dy Chief Minister, Tara Chand in the presence of then Member Parliament of Udhampur- Kathua constituency, Choudhary Lal Singh. Now all the Mast lights, worth several crores of rupees have gone kaput and department seemed least bothered, a player rued.
The stadium renovation and up-gradation work was sanctioned in the year 2007, during the tenure of former Minister of Youth and Sports, Babu Singh. The earth filling work was started in the same year but soon after change of guard in the Sports Ministry, the up-gradation work got halted due to unknown reason, sources said.
“The construction of boundary wall and sitting arrangements at left side of the stadium was started during the tenure of former MLA Charanjit Singh. The tenders were allotted by Public Works Department. Though the construction of sitting tiers was completed in the year 2008-09, the same have become old and unfit to use, said an employee in the stadium. Non-seriousness of JK Sports Council as well as local administration can be gauged from the fact that they have not even erected billboard where the name of the Kathua Sports Stadium is displayed, he added.
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making efforts to promote sports activities, develop infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir to engage militancy affected youth with sports activities, sports infrastructure at Kathua is still in shambles and craving for Government attention, said an official pleading anonymity.
The employees further informed that two more sports stadiums were under construction in district Kathua; one in village Budhi and another in Basholi town but it is unfortunate that already existing infrastructure is out of bounds for players and unfit for organizing sports activities.
Manager Sports Stadium, Kathua, Iqbal Singh said that he has requested the Department of Urban Local Bodies as well as President Municipal Council Kathua for the restoration of seven Mast lights which have gone kaput just after the installation. “MC Kathua president has assured early repair of all Mast lights which were installed under the funds of Urban Local Bodies and hopefully the same would be repaired before the Republic Day celebration, which is schedule to be held in Kathua Sports Stadium”, he informed.
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