Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 5: Giving dent to Prime Minister’s much hyped slogans -‘Fit India’ and construction of more and more sports fields for budding youth to channelize their energy, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has utterly failed to maintain one of the oldest Parade Sports Ground in the heart of city.
If someone visit this ground, he/she will found that the city’s oldest ground has turned into shambles-sitting tiers constructed around the ground are totally collapsed, boundary wall uprooted , debris and pebbles are scattered here and there, the running track is totally dusty while uneven ground is full of potholes which is unfit for any sports activities.
“On other hand, the half part of the said ground which was handed over to Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC) years back for its maintenance is totally well maintained while its pale surface is full of green grass which is fit for organising any sports event,” said a sportsperson who visit the ground regularly for running.
“Stinking toilets, uncovered transformers, lack of potable water facilities, damaged cricket nets showcased the dilapidated condition of upper part of the Play Ground which is maintained by the JMC,” he added.
Initially, the Ground was established with an aim to organise sports activities to train budding and young players but as care taker- the JMC had converted the sports ground into a simple ground which always used to organise other activities like political rallies, circus and even used to organise festival like Dussehra and others,” said president of Parade Sports Association Vijay Sabarwal, adding that few years back, a PIL was filed in the Jammu High Court against commercialisation of the ground by the JMC to get profit from it .
The Double Bench asked the Government and even the JMC to ban all others activities in the playgrounds except sports. The bench also directed the Government that the sports grounds across the J&K are established exclusively for organising sports activities, not for organising political rallies and other functions but despite all of these, the Parade Sports Ground is still unfit for sports activities, he said.
He further said that in the year of 2017, the then Sports Minister allocated Rs 21 lakhs for the construction of Changing Room as well as attached toilets. The work has been allotted to local contractor by JKSC while its foundation stone was laid down by then MLA East Jammu, Rajesh Gupta in the month of April, 2018. “Now, the contractor is saying that for the completion of the project, more funds are needed. However, during the allotment of works, the contractor was asked to construct Changing Rooms along with attached toilets and a small pavilion on its first ground but now the contractor is refusing to complete even changing room works and demanding more funds,” he said.
It is irony and mismanagement of the Council to complete the project, said Sabarwal.
Another player said that the non seriousness of the JMC can be gauged from this fact that on the call of Prime Minister, the JMC organised various campaigns and Swacchata Pakhwadas for cleanliness of the Jammu city but its campaigns never reached the Parade Sports Ground so far. “Local shopkeepers, residents and even vendors are putting their garbage in front of Gate. Garbage can be seen littered here and there, while herd of rats are roaming there which expose the tall claims of the JMC over cleanliness,” he asserted.
Few days back, a foundation stone was laid by Mayor JMC, Chander Mohan Gupta and Advisor to Lt Governor, KK Sharma in the presence IAS Atal Dulloo for the construction and improvement of spectators stand but it is still a million dollar question, will JMC start its maintenance works soon or its foundation will turn into merely a showcase, said a official while wishing anonymity.
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