Expedite work on playgrounds, sportspersons urge Malerkotla district administration

Office-bearers and activists of various social and constitutional bodies, including sports lovers and sportspersons, have urged the district administration to expedite the process for construction of playgrounds and sports arena, announced recently under the Punjab Government’s Model Playground Campaign.

They have also demanded that leaders of sports clubs, besides office-bearers of civic bodies, should be included in committees monitoring and supervising the construction work.

Justifying concern of the enthusiasts towards the ideal use of funds meant for promotion of sports in the region, Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidkey claimed that officials in departments concerned had been advised to ensure that every single penny of the grants was utilised conservatively for providing the best facilities at each playground or open gymnasium and all projects should be completed within the stipulated period.

Legislators Mohammad Jamil-ur-Rahman and Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra had been on a foundation stone-laying spree for construction of model playgrounds in villages falling under their respective Assembly segments during past weeks.

The playgrounds are coming up as a part of state-level campaign to construct 3,117 model playgrounds at the cost of Rs 966 crore.

The Malerkotla district administration claimed to have started the process for construction of 57 playgrounds at an estimated cost of Rs 16.02 crore, of which 30 playgrounds at an estimated cost of Rs 6.89 crore are being constructed in Malerkotla Assembly segment and the rest 27 in the Amargarh Assembly segment at an estimated cost of Rs 9.13 crore.

Thanking the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, MLAs Rahman and Gajjanmajra claimed that the playground, when completed, would prompt youths of the region to adopt sports as an element of their life and shun drug addiction.

Sportspersons and sports lovers led by office-bearers of the Ahmedgarh Sports and Welfare Club Arvind Singh Maavi and Shiv Kumar Buta said they had urged the administration to ensure that the proposed playgrounds were constructed promptly and the grants were utilised judicially.