Is F’bad stadium ready or not — that is the question

Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, December 2

A tussle is going on between the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and the Sports Department for about two months over the transfer of a newly built indoor stadium. With formal inauguration of the stadium pending, it has not been put to use due to delay in transfer.

Sports Department officials said the stadium would be taken over only after completion of finishing work like electrical fittings, washrooms and accessories. On the other hand, HSVP officials said the stadium was fully ready and no work was pending.

“We have written to the Sports Department, but there has not been any response so far,” said Rajeev Sharma, Superintending Engineer, HSVP. He said the stadium was ready since September 20. After Assembly elections delayed inauguration, the HSVP took up the matter in the first week of November.

Vinod Bala, District Sports Officer, said the stadium would be taken over as soon as finishing work was completed as the stadium was fully air-conditioned. She said the Sports Department was awaiting its formal inauguration.

Transfer of the newly laid astro-turf hockey ground was also pending. An amount of Rs 7 crore was spent on it. While sports officials wanted it to be completed with proper drainage, HSVP officials claimed that it was ready as per specifications.

The foundation stone of this indoor stadium was laid in the mid-1990s. The project was revived in 2012 and handed over to the HSVP. The project was completed at a cost Rs 25 crore in September. The stadium would host boxing, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, wrestling, softball, weightlifting and skating events.