Karnal village stadiums lack upkeep

Parveen Arora

Karnal, January 8

Worn-out seating stands, unlevelled and poorly-maintained grounds, broken boundary walls, windows and doors, and shoddy upkeep of infrastructure sums up the poor sporting scene at Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Khel Stadiums in the district.

These stadiums were started in seven villages — Ghog ripur, Nigdhu, Bastara, Jaisinghpura, Pundrak, Kalri Jagri and Gagsina — during the tenure of the previous government by spending crores, but lack of maintenance cut a sorry figure as most of the stadiums are in a shambles. Due to this, budding sportspersons in the district are facing a lot of inconvenience as they are forced to come to the district headquarters to practice for their games.

Doors and windows in the Ghogripur village have been lying broken for several months. The stands meant for sitting have either worn out or been uprooted. The residents claimed that they had raised the issue with the authorities several times, but no action was taken. Arvind, a local, said the government must uplift the sports infrastructure in rural areas, which is often neglected. He alleged that even toilets were in a poor condition and required maintenance.

The stadium in Pundrak also narrates a similar story. It lacks a permanent source of potable water for players who visit the stadium for regular practice. The Nigdhu stadium lacks electricity and water supply. Its boundary wall has been lying broken even after raising the issue with the authorities concerned. The condition of the remaining stadiums is no different.

The Sports Department officials have sought a budget for the maintenance of the stadiums. “We have sent in a demand of Rs 4.16 lakh for the maintenance of Gagsina stadium, Rs 5.42 lakh for Ghogripur stadium, Rs 6.30 lakh for Bastara stadium, Rs 4.70 lakh for Pundrak stadium, Rs 9.30 lakh for Nigdhu stadium, and Rs 7.49 lakh for Jaisinghpura stadium to higher authorities,” said Ashok Dua, District Sports Officer (DSO).