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Issue of Rajiv Gandhi stadium’s poor condition echoes in Assembly

MLA BB Batra submits photographs to, CM & Sports Minister
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Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda talks to his party MLAs BB Batra and Aftab Ahmed on the second day of Monsoon session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh on Monday. Ravi Kumar
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The issue pertaining to the dilapidated condition of Rajiv Gandhi Sports Stadium in the city once again became a topic of sharp discussion during the ongoing monsoon session in the Assembly.

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Flagging the issue prominently, Local Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra not only voiced concerns but also submitted photographs of the stadium’s current state to both the Chief Minister and Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam in the House.

The Rajiv Gandhi Sports Stadium in Rohtak. Tribune Photo

Batra said the stadium, constructed by the then Hooda government in 2012, was built to international standards, but is now in a dilapidated state. Highlighting the poor condition of basic facilities such as toilets, athletic tracks, changing rooms, drinking water, grounds, and lighting, he questioned what steps the government had taken for its upkeep. He also demanded a detailed account of the stadium’s maintenance from 2019 to 2025.

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Batra said the stadium needed both maintenance and expansion. “The Chief Minister had earlier talked about setting up Centres of Sports Excellence in Haryana, and that the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium should be declared one, as it was a heritage sports facility and a valuable public asset,” said the MLA.

He presented photos in the House showing the damaged skating rink, volleyball ground, archery court, synthetic track, toilets, and changing rooms. He alleged that the only reason for such neglect was that the stadium was located in Rohtak. Batra demanded that in addition to the SAI Boxing Academy, the entire stadium be declared a national-level sports facility.

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“Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam in his reply informed the House that a proposal worth Rs 25 crore has been submitted, which includes Rs 17 crore for a synthetic athletic track and Rs 8.36 crore for a synthetic hockey turf. An additional Rs 8.81 crore has been proposed for repairing other infrastructure such as streetlights, water coolers, high-mast lights, and air conditioning systems. The proposal is currently under consideration with the PWD Department,” Batra claimed.

The MLA further informed that presenting a detailed financial statement from 2019 to 2025, the Sports Minister clarified that the stadium was managed by the HSVP until 2022, during which Rs 2.5 crore were allocated. Since then, under the Sports Department, Rs 99 lakh had been spent on the facility from 2022 to 2025.

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