5 yrs on, Muktsar sports hall’s renovation awaits completion
An indoor multipurpose hall at Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sports Stadium, Muktsar, remains incomplete five years after the renovation work began, despite an initial six-month deadline. The project was initiated under the previous Congress government when Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi laid the foundation stone on March 6, 2019.
According to a recent Comptroller and Auditor General of India report, the renovation work, allotted in May 2019 at a cost of Rs 1.43 crore, was halted due to inadequate funding. By November 2019, after Rs 59 lakh had been spent, the Punjab State Sports Council (PSSC) had only released Rs 36 lakh to the Punjab Mandi Board (PMB), causing the project to stop.
The balance Rs 1.07 crore was released between July 2020 and March 2021, but work was delayed further due to the non-finalisation of a revised estimate. As of December 2022, Rs 84 lakh remained unused with the PMB.
The hall, historically used for National Livestock Championships, has been neglected for years. However, District Sports Officer Anindervir Kaur confirmed that the renovation work is currently underway and will be completed soon, allowing the hall to host indoor games like badminton.
