Amritsar trust shelves sports stadium plan, replaces it with Unity Mall

The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has shelved its long-pending proposal to build a multipurpose sports stadium, effectively ending the dream of adding an international-level sports facility to the holy city’s landscape. Originally planned to come up on 25 acres of prime land in E-Block of Ranjit Avenue, the sports complex included both indoor and outdoor stadiums for multiple sports. However, the delay in the project’s execution has led to skyrocketing land prices, which now fetch between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh per acre, making the project financially unfeasible.

In a significant shift, the Trust has removed the foundation stone laid for the sports stadium and replaced the proposal with a commercial project in collaboration with the Union government. A sprawling Unity Mall will now be constructed on 10 acres of the land. The Punjab Public Works Department (PWD) has already floated a tender for the construction of the mall, with an estimated cost of Rs 153.2 crore and a completion period of 24 months. The mall aims to promote Punjab’s handicraft products in a modern environment, catering to tourists visiting Amritsar daily. The project will also feature the “One District One Product” initiative, allowing artisans from across the state to showcase their goods.

The shift from a sports stadium to a commercial project has raised concerns among local sports enthusiasts. The change of plans is a disappointment to those who had held hope for a state-of-the-art sports complex, as promised by several political leaders. Former Chief Ministers Capt. Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi, along with Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, had all laid foundation stones for the sports stadium during their respective tenures, each making public promises to elevate sports infrastructure in the city.

Veteran player Sohan Singh remarked that the fate of the sports stadium reflected the level of attention it received from successive governments. Singh pointed out that in January 2022, Charanjit Singh Channi became the third dignitary to lay the foundation stone for the stadium, following Sukhbir Singh Badal and Capt. Amarinder Singh, who had done so in 2011. The project, Singh emphasised, wouldn’t have required significant investment, as most of the stadium’s infrastructure was planned to remain open-air.

The concept for the sports complex was first proposed over 15 years ago, but construction was delayed due to the site falling within a no-construction zone due to its proximity to the bypass. As the bypass was later reclassified as an inner ring road, the land became eligible for development. However, the Trust has now ruled out any future sports infrastructure on the remaining 15 acres of land, which will instead be used for commercial exploitation.

Trust officials clarified that the land had never been officially notified by the government for sports development. Despite the original plans, the land is now being repurposed for commercial use.

Repeated attempts to contact Ashok Talwar, Chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust, for further comment went unanswered.