Work begins on sports complex

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 22

A day after the lifting of the Model Code of Conduct provisions, the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) initiated the work to construct a boundary wall at the proposed sports complex site. The work has been delayed because of a litigation.

On Wednesday, the AIT removed the garbage dumped at the site and also cleaned some portion of the land using JCBs. Workers had initiated the construction on Tuesday. The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) took up the work on the eight-acre sports complex, a dream project of Minister of Local Bodies Navjot Singh Sidhu, after a nine-year legal battle on May 13. The court has given its decision in favour of the AIT regarding the disputed eight acres of land. The AIT has also filed a caveat petition so the opposition party may not file petition for the stay.

The multipurpose site will have a cricket ground, athletic track, football and lawn tennis area to promote sports in the city. The government has sanctioned Rs 30 crore for the multipurpose indoor and outdoor sports infrastructure.

AIT officials said tenders for the project would be floated soon.

Navjot Singh Sidhu had announced to construct a sports complex here in 2010 but a local developer moved a petition, claiming his ownership on eight-acre land out of 27 acre alongside the bypass road.