The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Sports complexes confined to paper

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 24, 2010
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Sports complexes confined to paper

V.Geetanath

Just one of the 14 proposed GHMC multi-purpose stadia ready for inauguration

PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

NEW FACILITY:A painter gives final touches to the GHMC's Salar-e-Millat Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi Sports Complex in old city.

HYDERABAD: It's a pool with heavy patronage where hundreds of young and old, women and men have learnt swimming or swim regularly.

Yet, the S.V. Gurumoorty pool in Secunderabad has to depend on parents' largesse to be put in proper shape thanks to official indifference and disinterest of elected representatives.

Heavy usage means annual maintenance is a must since there are tiles to be replaced, showers and taps to be repaired and motors to be rewired but inordinate delay in getting the works cleared and tenders called to get crucial repairs done has forced some parents whose wards swim in the pool to chip in liberally each year. And, that's an open secret.

It is symptomatic of the overall neglect of the sports sector despite hosting popular annual events for officials and corporators.

If some of the existing sports complexes require proper maintenance, just one of the 14 new proposed multi-purpose stadia in various parts of the twin cities is getting ready for inauguration.

The foundation stone for the Chandulal Baradari Sports Complex was laid by late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in his first term as Chief Minister and with pressure put in by Majlis leaders, the construction is nearing completion.

A swimming pool in Amberpet in the planning for the last five years too is getting ready, say senior officials.

Bogged down

Save for these, several other new works have got bogged down either in the revised plans stage or in the tendering stage with few contractors bothering to file their tenders despite repeated calls.

No work has begun for sports complexes at Lakshminagar (Saidabad), Gowlipura and Lalapet, with the last named adjacent to Mayor B. Kartika Reddy's Tarnaka division.

Those planned at Kamalapuri and Khairatabad got cancelled in between with senior citizens demanding parks be built instead of sports facilities while stadia at places like Nehrunagar (West Marredpally), Hafeezbabanagar (Kanchanbagh), Netajinagar (Mehdipatnam), Moosarambagh are either stuck at the tender stage or revised plans have to be made.

All these were then estimated to cost close to Rs. 30 crore and surely the budget must have escalated since then as few seem to be bothered about ensuring their completion.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh