Work of redevelopment of Karna Stadium stalled, work pact terminated

The redevelopment of Karna Stadium has been at a standstill for the past nine months, prompting Karnal Smart City Ltd. (KSCL) to terminate the work agreement of the agency responsible for the project. The agency has also been penalised of Rs 1 crore for delays and non-compliance.

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As per the authorities, despite multiple warnings and a final notice issued last year, the agency failed to resume work, leaving the KSCL with no option but to cancel the contract.

“Since the agency stalled work on both phases and did not resume even after the final notice, we had to terminate the tender and impose a fine,” said Uttam Singh, Deputy Commissioner-cum-CEO of the KSCL. He expressed optimism about resuming and completing the project at the earliest.

Ramphal, General Manager (GM) of the KSCL, confirmed that DC Uttam Singh recently reviewed all ongoing projects and after noting persistent delays even after several notices, including the final one, the work agreement was terminated.

The redevelopment, being carried out under the Smart City project, aims at enhancing the city’s sports infrastructure and provide better facilities for athletes. The project was divided into two phases. The first phase, with a Budget of Rs 23.95 crore, included the construction of four tennis courts, a 250-seat spectator gallery, and two hostel blocks designed to accommodate 90 men and 45 women players. Initially the scheduled for the completion in May last year, significant portions remain unfinished, including the tennis courts, gallery, multi-purpose hall and climbing wall.

The second phase, with an estimated cost of Rs 12.59 crore, involves constructing a four-storey building for fencing and gymnastics halls, the work on it also not complete.

The prolonged delay has caused anger among sports enthusiasts, who have been eagerly awaiting the completion of the new facilities. The stadium currently has only a single tennis court, which is insufficient to meet the demand.

“The work on this ambitious project has come to a standstill as the contractor has stopped work. We demand that the authorities float a fresh tender for the remaining work so that the project can be completed at the earliest and youngsters can take advantage of these sports facilities," said Satish Kumar, a sports enthusiast.