Beyond inaugurations and official files, there seems to be very little or no development in respect of many a sports project, basically Jammu based, not to speak of taking such steps which could lead to meeting the stipulated timeline in completion of associated works on them. We can cite the instances of much hyped all weather swimming pool inside M A Stadium, laying of synthetic turf at Mini Stadium , Parade Ground in the heart of Jammu City and Multipurpose Sports Complex cum Green Avenue at Bhagwati Nagar Jammu . It is obvious that with all these projects are associated the sports related interest of Jammu based players especially in respect of the all weather swimming pool otherwise a languishing project which under the relevant scheme was approved for up-gradation and even inaugurated in February 2019 but continues to remain incomplete thus denying the access to the interested sportspersons. We can see the available talent, therefore, not groomed and trained well to participate in national level tournaments from this swimming pool. A bit of interest and follow-up from the sports authorities could result in its completion but who takes an initiative is what matters in the area of sports even though out of the estimated cost of this mini sports project , nearly 80% of funds stand already released under the scheme of (rejuvenating) languishing projects.
That several deadlines having been missed in respect of completion of these projects only point towards official apathy. Not only are funds shortage cited as reasons of delays in and the process of lingering of these projects but even after the stepping in by the Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Finance Development Corporation Limited (JKIFDCL) to provide funds after getting approved by the High Level Committee in 2019 , the position, more or less , has remained the same. Not an involvement of funds disproportionate to requirements as the JKIFDCL can be asked to manage but how much priority was accorded to these projects by the successive Governments and what levels of monitoring were employed , if analysed, would reveal all contrary to expectations.
The levels of recklessness of the authorities can be gauged in terms of the project slated to come up at Bhagwti Nagar that of Multipurpose Sports Complex cum Green avenue is about taking possession of 320 Kanals at River Tawi in which the Sports Council has not been successful in doing so from the District Administration resulting in a larger portion of the said piece of land having been turned into a dumping ground of garbage and filth which otherwise is in unlimited availability . Even vehicles laden with the stuff are in unhindered way seen crawling there to dump the stuff because the land ”belongs to none ” and is put to ”no use” despite a grim reminder in a corner about the site having been inaugurated by a top Government official for raising a much required sports infrastructure. It was otherwise envisaged that the complex proposed to be raised would be used for playing of several games and at the same time.
The problems responsible for creation of such a scenario , besides an undecided planning and pattern of funds flow proportionate to needs, is allotment of work of different hues to agencies, independent of due administrative approvals as well as technical concurrence and compliance. In other words that means an enquiry from within to be held to find out the reasons for that but the same should not put on hold the particular sports project which means its fate hanging in balance perhaps indefinitely. Work on the project of turf laying at Mini Stadium at Parade Ground having been allotted to a company from outside Jammu and Kashmir which has been given extensions of timeframes since February 2021 but till date ground results have eluded the expectations. Likewise the company which laid synthetic turf at hockey ground Poonch in Jammu division has bills outstanding with the Government to the tune of Rs. 1 crore which has made the said company reluctant in completing similar work at the Mini Stadium Parade. We would urge the UT Government , particularly the authorities of the Sports Council to look into the present status of these (Jammu) based sports projects in order to get prompted to arrange the work on them being sped up.
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