Sportsmen sidelined as BDA’s swimming pool turns into business unit

Gurdeep Singh Mann

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 24

The commercial approach of making more and more money has overtaken the sporting spirit at the swimming pool of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA).

The swimming pool has been into existence at the community centre of Model Town Phase-1 for more than one-and-a-half decade.

However, it remains crowded with unwanted elements who do not allow professional or budding swimmers to practise.

Complaining about the gross mismanagement and utter chaos, city residents, NGOs and local politicians today submitted complaints to the Deputy Chief Minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal, Deputy Commissioner and Talwandi Sabo MLA-cum-district president of the Swimming Association, Jeet Mohinder Sidhu.

The complainants demanding immediate release of the pool from the clutches of a private contractor.

They alleged that unwanted elements flouted the rules, threatened swimmers and indulged into eve-teasing.

“Though chaos is witnessed everyday, the height of madness became unbearable last morning when a group of seven boys of 25 to 30 years were allowed to enter the pool to play hide and seek from 8 am to 9 am,” said Jeet Singh, an ex-serviceman and one of the complainants.

The boys came in an offwhite Mitsubishi Lancer bearing Bathinda registration number and boasted of their political connections to scare daily swimmers and regular members of the pool, he said.

Adults and kids swimming in the pool were forced to leave in view of the utter chaos created by the boys.

“Visibly under some intoxication, they created ruckus. They ran into the pool, dived and threw each other into the water, despite clear guidelines regarding ban on diving from outside written on the walls,” Singh said.

They came as guest swimmers by paying Rs 100 each but without the consent of any of the regular members and without medical fitness certificate, which is a must for regular swimmers.

“When their misbehaviour was opposed, the boys threatened and dared anyone to stop them. They bragged about their political connections in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and in the government,” said Jasvir, a budding swimmer who too was forced to come out of pool due to the disorder.

He said tempers ran high as heated arguments ensued between the hooligans and parents and guardians of regular swimmers while the pool staff and management officials remained mute spectators.

The boys remained in water even after their stipulated time of one hour despite the fact that girls timing begins at 9 am, said Kavita, another visitor.

District president of Shiv Sena (Hindustan) Vijay Jindal, who too reached the spot along with his supporters, announced to burn an effigy of the Punjab Government and the BDA for handing over the pool, constructed with tax payers’ money, to private players for minting money. 

“The actual purpose of constructing the pool with the public money is completely defeated as the sole aim of its contractor is to earn huge amounts and not to maintain any discipline or order,” Jindal said. 

He said earlier, complaints to the Assistant Chief Administrator (ACA) were submitted regarding the defunct water cooler, which was still non-functional. 

There are two pools for kids and adults of 100 metres and 25 metres and Rs 700 is charged from adults, Rs 500 from kids and Rs 500 for coaching. 

The footfall increases to more than 700 people during the peak season. 

“This is very surprising that the authorities have turned a blind eye over the sorry state of affairs in the pool. Discipline is must in swimming and anyone playing hide and seek doesn’t allow others to swim,” said Talwandi Sabo MLA Jeetmohinder Sidhu, who is also the president of the District Swimming Association. 

Expressing anguish over such incidents, he promised to take up the matter of segregating the timings of swimmers and those who wished to play hide and seek. 

“Guests should not be allowed to enter anytime. I will take up the issue with the Deputy Chief Minister as an official swimming coach has been deployed in the stadium where there is no pool whereas the swimming pool sans coach,” he said.