Involve experts to oversee execution of major sports projects, govt urged

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, March 26

In the wake of poor quality of material and workmanship which came to the fore in the recently carried out repair and renovation work of the skating rink in Leisure Valley, Sarabha Nagar (at a cost of around Rs One Crore), doubts are being raised if other sports infrastructure projects in the pipeline under the Smart City Mission meet a similar fate.

Each work vetted by technical experts: officials

MC officials, however, asserted that there was zero-tolerance to poor quality of material or workmanship and each work, being executed under the Smart City Mission or otherwise, was vetted by technical experts before final settlement of bills of contractors or construction agencies.

Expressing apprehension of poor quality material to be used and poor workmanship in the absence of supervision by technical experts, a city-based social activist, Ramesh Nayyar, has asked the state government to involve technical experts, sportspersons

and professional bodies of the sports concerned to oversee the execution of these major sports infrastructure projects.

“If left entirely to staff, officials and contractors, who have little or no expertise and technical knowhow of similar works, there is every possibility of that two major sports infra projects – laying Astro Turf for hockey and athletics (Rs 8.22 crore) and construction of a basketball stadium (Rs 11.26 crore) at Guru Nanak Stadium here would fare poorly on

the quality benchmark

and also fail to meet the expectations of the sports fraternity,” said Nayyar in a communication to Minister for Local Bodies Inderbir Singh Nijjar.

Citing example of shoddy work carried out by the construction agency in laying/repair of synthetic floor in the skating rink, the complainant said the flooring material had started coming off in patches even as the work was still continuing and rather than replacement of defective material, the contractor had resorted to repair on the floor which, in due course, would pose a risk to skaters.

Emphasising on quality control of the highest degree and longevity for such significant sports projects, Nayyar said the Municipal Corporation and the state government ought to put a system in place in which only those employees and officials were deployed to supervise such projects who had necessary technical know-how and expertise of sports infrastructure.

“At the same time, for stringent quality control, committee of technical experts as well as sportspersons and sports officials be associated for supervision of the construction work,” he said.

MC officials, however, asserted that there was zero-tolerance to poor quality of material or workmanship and each work, being executed under the Smart City Mission or otherwise, was vetted by technical experts before final settlement of bills of contractors or construction agencies.

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