Punjab CM, Kejriwal to lay stone for sports hub project in Jalandhar today

In a major boost to Punjab's sports infrastructure, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal are set to lay stone for the much-awaited sports hub project tomorrow in the city. The project, the idea of which was conceived 17-year ago, seemed to have lost in the way. But, now the AAP government has grabbed the opportunity to revive it with the foundation stone-laying ceremony.

Final preparations are in full swing ahead of the grand event. The authorities have pitched a tent capable of accommodating 6,000 chairs, with officials estimating a crowd of up to 10,000, including local residents, athletes, and dignitaries.

Municipal Corporation teams have been working to clean the site. The large-scale gathering has prompted an intensified sanitation and security push, with the police and administration coordinating crowd management and logistics.

"This is a proud moment. The sports hub will not only nurture local talent, but also provide the world-class facilities to our youth," said an official from the MC.

The hub is expected to house multiple indoor and outdoor arenas, training centres, and community facilities aimed at fostering a sporting culture across the region.

Under the project, the Burlton Park will be converted into a huge sports hub. As per the plan, the Burlton Park will have stadia for cricket, football, badminton, volleyball, table tennis and judo, besides a swimming pool of international standards.

Mayor Vaneet Dhir had been paying visits to the Burlton Park along with MC Commissioner Gautam Jain and was looking at the preparedness. He had also ordered to remove waste and had asked the officials to address the patch work that was to be done.

He has asked the contractor to complete the project within a year. "I have been getting calls from sports enthusiasts from everywhere and they are feeling so excited that finally the sports hub project will come up after a long wait," Dhir said.

Security arrangements, traffic diversions, and transport services are also being streamlined to ensure the smooth flow of the event.

Mayor Dhir further mentioned that the MRF plant will be made functional at the Burlton Park where the waste material will be processed.

Senior Congress leader Balraj Thakur, in his press statement, said for the past 15 days, all government machinery, including officials from the Municipal Corporation and administration as well as workers and tractor-trolleys, have been stationed at the Burlton Park for the inauguration of the sports hub. "As a result, whenever we request any work to be done in various wards, the response we receive is that the work will only be done after the Chief Minister’s event is over. Following the storm that hit Jalandhar 15 days ago, a tree fell and blocked the street near Rana Hospital in Prakash Nagar. Despite repeated requests, the only reply is that labour and machinery are occupied with preparations," he said.

"The inauguration of the hub at the Burlton Park was initially scheduled last week and is now set to be held tomorrow. For the past several days, the entire administrative machinery has been concentrated at and around the park, leaving the city’s regular maintenance and development work completely neglected. So, I am requesting to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to please to instruct the administration to ensure that the ongoing preparations for your Jalandhar visit do not bring the rest of the city's work to a halt," Thakur stated.

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Conceived 17 years ago

Under the project, the Burlton Park will be converted into a huge sports hub

The Burlton Park will have stadia for cricket, football, badminton, volleyball, table tennis and judo, besides a swimming pool of international standards

The idea of the project was conceived 17-year ago