Goldi Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 27: State of Art facilities ‘Water Sports Centre Basholi’, announced under Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP) in the year of 2016 and executed by Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council will be thrown open for water sports activities by June this year.
Executive Engineer of premier sports body, Sarwar Mehmood informed the Excelsior that under the Prime Minister Development Package of Rs 3-crore for Water Sports Centre at the bank of Ranjit Sagar Dam including main building, setting tiers, changing room, manager room, canteen, boat shed and living room are already completed.
“Only finishing works of these facilities are pending and hopefully, all these works will be completed within three months and in June of this year, the facilities will be declared open for the activities,” Executive Engineer Mehmood said.
Under the PMDP, Prime Minister Narender Modi announced worth Rs 400 crores package for Jammu and Kashmir wherein major share of the package were announced for the development and up-gradation of two premier stadium of Jammu and Kashmir-Bakshi Stadium for FIFA level stadium whereas MA Stadium Jammu for international level cricket stadium along with 22 indoor stadium with worth of Rs four crores in all the districts of erstwhile State of J&K as well as Rs 3 crore each for water sports centre in both the divisions.
The similar project which was announced for Kashmir division at Nehru Park in Dal lake has been completed and thrown open for water sports activities two years back but the same project for Jammu region, is lingering on from many years for various reasons.
Well placed sources in the Council informed that initially, the project was announced at Mansar Lake in Jammu but later it was shifted to on the banks of Ranjit Sagar Dam near Basohli in Kathua district. The site near Palai Village in Basohli where the Water Centre is being established, took more than two years to finalize the site.
“It was followed by Covid wave, delay in tendering process and transfer of land to J&K Sports Council and others delayed the projects and missed various deadlines set by the Council to complete,” sources said.
Last year, incumbent Secretary Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul had visited venue site of Water Sports Centre Basohli and inspected the ongoing project with District Development Council (DDC) Chairman, Maan Singh and asked the executing agency to complete the project in time bound manner because the project has already missed several deadlines due to various reasons.
“It is administrative efforts by the Secretary Sports Council-Nuzhat Gul, the project is going to see the daylight and will be thrown open for water sports activities which fulfill the purpose for which it was announced,” sources said.