Non-seriousness on part of Executing Agency
Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 21: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir had announced worth Rs 27 crores for lying down of three Astro-turfs of Football and two Astro-turfs of Hockey including replacement of obsolete turf at KK Hakku Stadium Jammu in the month of February 2019 but after lapse of sufficient times, the premier body -J&K Sports Council has utterly failed to do so.
Sources in the Council informed Excelsior that although the premier body of sports had fixed the March 31, 2021 as deadline for the completion of the projects, but owing to dilly-dallying practices of the department concerned, unlimited delaying in tendering process and not finalising the venues where these turf is lying down, the projects is likely to miss March 31 deadline.
Sources further said that the Government had given approval for lying down of three Football Astro-turf at Parade Ground Jammu, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Rajouri and Khelo India Ground Nagrota with worth Rs 5 crores each but work of lying Astro-turf is got underway only at Parade Ground Jammu, whereas others two projects yet to see the daylight.
“Although, Engineering wing of the Council had floated the tender for lying down turf at Khel Gaon Nagrota twice but due to unknown reasons, the tender is yet not finalized, whereas the venue at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Rajouri where the Astro-turf for Football was proposed, is still not finalized so far and worth Rs five crores is lying idle,” said officials while wishing anonymity.
The sources further said that Rs 12 crores Astro-turfs got approval at Poonch and KK Hakku Stadium Jammu under the languishing projects in High Level Committee meeting which was held on February 25 under the chairmanship of Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Com Secy to Govt PW (R&B), Rohit Kansal, Principal Secy to Govt PD&MD and Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secy to Govt Finance Department Youth Services and Sports through funding agency JKIDFC Limited. “Due to lackadaisical approach of officials of the department concerned, the work of KK Hakku Stadium was allotted to a contractor recently and it will take more than five months to complete it while work at Poonch is being carried at snails pace,” sources added.
Sources further said that if the sports premier body finalized the venue at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Rajouri for installation of Football turf soon, it will take at least six to 10 months more to complete the project.
It is pertinent to mention here that during the meeting, high level committee framed by the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik to clear all languishing projects and the committee held meeting in the month of February, 2019. “The Government of Jammu and Kashmir had cleared nearly Rs 265.87 crores languishing sports projects and asked the department concerned to complete them as soon as possible but after lapse of two years, the projects are still facing officials’ apathy and the reasons best known to the officials who are at helm of the affairs.
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