Anantnag: Two years after missing the first deadline, and four years after the construction work was started, two indoor stadia – one in Pulwama district and another in Shopian district – are yet to be completed.
Sports enthusiasts in the twin south Kashmir districts are disheartened and disappointed with the slow pace of work on the projects, especially as the weather in Kashmir does not permit many outdoor sports.
“We were told they will be completed in two years’ time and it has now been four, but the stadium is yet to be completed,” said Rameez Ahmad, a resident of Rajpora area in Pulwama district.
The projects were announced by the government for Rajpora area of Pulwama district and Arhama area in Shopian district. The aim was to engage the youth of the area in positive activities.
“Given that the two districts have been severely affected by the ongoing violence in Kashmir, the stadiums were supposed to engage the youth in a positive, constructive manner,” an official source in the administration told Kashmir Reader.
Rupees 4 Crore were earmarked for each of the projects, taken up for construction in the year 2017, with a 2-year deadline for completion. Games like Table-Tennis, Badminton and other engaging sports were expected to be played under one roof.
“The delay in the completion of the projects has been uncalled for, and it is being impressed upon the executing agency to complete the work soon,” the official source said.
Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) is the executing agency of both projects. An official of the corporation told Kashmir Reader that the work was going on smoothly, at least in Rajpora, before August 5, 2019 – when Kashmir was put under lockdown as Article 370 was read down.
“And then there was the Covid lockdown. Despite that, the pace of work on the Rajpora stadium has been excellent. It will be handed over to the authorities concerned in a week’s time,” the official told Kashmir Reader.
On the Shopian project, the official said that there was some inordinate delay in the identification of land for the project, to begin with. “Post that, the work has been pretty much smooth, barring the back-to-back lockdowns,” the official said.
He said he hoped that the project in Arhama will be completed in a couple of months before it is handed over to the Youth Sports and Services department of the government. “Not more than two months,” he said of the expected timeline.

Suhail A Shah