Basholi Sports Stadium still on papers only after lapse of 3 years
Goldi Sharma Asgotra
JAMMU, Feb 2: The proposed Basholi Sports Stadium cum Academy, announced in the year of 2017, is still confined to paper works only as after the lapse of nearly three years since the laying of its foundation stone in the village Palahi, no further development has been made. The shifting of public utilities of Education Department, PHE, PDD and Fisheries from the proposed site of the Stadium, have yet to begin, thus causing inordinate delay in handing over the land to the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC).
The announcement of the proposed Basohli Sports Stadium cum Academy in village Palahi was made in the year 2017, by the then Minister of Youth Services and Sports, Moulvi Imran Ansari in presence of the then Forest Minister Choudhary Lal Singh who was also local legislator of Basohli constituency. On the same day of announcement a foundation stone of the Stadium was also laid at the proposed site.
Since then in the last three years, the ambitious project is still nowhere in sight as the land at the proposed site is yet to be handed over to Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC) for the development of the Sports Stadium cum Academy. The Revenue Department has not transferred the land to JKSC in the last three years.
The bone of contention between JKSC and Revenue department is that the latter department had demanded over Rs. 1 crores for shifting of utilities, already there at the proposed site.
“The utilities which are to be shifted include a Government Middle School, an installation of Fisheries Department, infrastructure of Power department and PHE department”, sources told the Excelsior, adding that the Revenue department has sought over Rs. 1 crores from the JKSC for shifting of these utilities at another alternative places.”
The estimated cost of the project sanctioned by the Government is Rs. 5 crores against the proposal of Rs 5.75 crores, sent by JKSC, which is the executing agency. In the sanctioned amount of Rs. 5 crores, the JKSC has to do earth filling works, construct an administrative complex, changing room and other allied sports infrastructure but no funds have been sanctioned for the shifting of public utilities, existed on the proposed site.
Recently, the Revenue department had sent an official communiqué to the JKSC for depositing over Rs. 1 crores for shifting of the utilities, but the JKSC is reluctant to give the funds”, sources said, adding that only after shifting of the utilities, the proposed land would be handed over to the JKSC, which would then start the construction works.
The contract of the construction of Sports Stadium was already allotted to a Kashmir based contractor but unlimited delay in the transfer of the proposed land to the executing agency, has been hampering the project, said an official while wishing anonymity.
A Revenue official while pleading anonymity said that the JKSC has been asked to firstly deposit the money. Only after the funds would be given by JKSC, the land will be transferred officially to JKSC, the official said.
The locals have taken up the issue of incomplete projects in Basohli including proposed Sports Stadium, Water Sports infrastructure at Panagar near Mahanpur, Sports Stadium Karanwara, with the senior Government officials when they visited the Basohli town but for no avail.
An official of the Council said that neither the Council nor the Department of Youth Service and Sports have submitted the amount to Revenue Department for shifting of utilities.
“In this regard, a file is lying in the office of the Secretary, JKSC for the consideration”, the official said pleading anonymity.
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