logo
17 years on, another bid to set the ball rolling for Jalandhar's sports hub

17 years on, another bid to set the ball rolling for Jalandhar's sports hub

Hindustan Times4 days ago

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is making yet another effort to revive the long-awaited sports hub at Jalandhar's Burlton Park, with chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal set to lay the foundation stone of the project on June 11.
The project, which has remained in limbo for 17 long years, is now estimated to cost ₹77.77-crore.
Facilities for outdoor & indoor games
The sports hub, which is to come up on 60 acres, will include outdoor sports facilities such as cricket stadium, astroturf hockey ground and seven-side football ground (natural grass), each with separate pavilion areas. It will also have indoor sports facilities for multiple disciplines including yoga, skating, cycling and jogging.
In limbo since 2008
The project was first floated by the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine in 2008. In 2016, the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs announced that Jalandhar will be developed as a Smart City, with the sports hub set to be one of the key projects. In 2022, just before the state assembly elections, the then Congress government had awarded the project's tender to a Chandigarh-based firm, with a completion deadline of 12 months, but it only managed to construct the boundary wall. A sum of ₹1.13-crore was also released to the company after which the MC terminated the tender.
Jalandhar mayor Vaneet Dhir said the municipal corporation has re-allotted the tenders to the same company, which was assigned the project earlier. 'The project had been hanging fire due to lack of political and administrative will because of which contractors were also reluctant to work on it. In the last four months, multiple meetings were held with contractors, who were ensured that all the required logistics will be provided for the completion of the project,' said Dhir.
Former AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, who is presently with the BJP, said it appears to be a 'gimmick' to score brownie points.
'Both Mann and Kejriwal had promised the revive the project while campaigning for me during the 2023 Jalandhar bypoll. Exactly two years on, they are doing a formality of initiating the project,' said Rinku.
He also questioned why the tender was awarded to the same company, 'which had left the project mid-way'.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among those killed in Ahmedabad plane crash
Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among those killed in Ahmedabad plane crash

Scroll.in

time22 minutes ago

  • Scroll.in

Former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani among those killed in Ahmedabad plane crash

Former Gujarat Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Rupani died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday, Union Minister CR Paatil was quoted as saying by PTI. Rupani was among 242 persons onboard Air India flight AI171 headed for London, which crashed barely a minute after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport. 'Our leader and former Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was going [to London] to meet his family,' Paatil was quoted as saying by PTI. 'He is also a victim in this incident. May his soul rest in peace. This is a big loss for the BJP.' VIDEO | Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Union Minister and Gujarat BJP president, CR Patil (@CRPaatil) confirms former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani's demise. Speaking to reporters, he says, "Our leader and former Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, was going (to London) to meet his family. He is… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2025 Rupani is the second Gujarat chief minister to die in a plane crash. The first was former Chief Minister Balwantrai Mehta, whose plane was shot down by a Pakistani fighter pilot during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Rupani became Gujarat's chief minister in August 2016 following BJP leader Anandiben Patel's resignation and served office until 2021, when Bhupendra Patel succeeded him. At the time of his elevation, he was the Bharatiya Janata Party's state president and a minister. He had been a first-time MLA from Rajkot West and was widely seen as a protégé of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, The Hindu reported. He was the only BJP chief minister of Gujarat after Narendra Modi to have held the post for over five years.

World Day against Child Labour observed in Chittoor district
World Day against Child Labour observed in Chittoor district

The Hindu

time26 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

World Day against Child Labour observed in Chittoor district

As part of the campaign held against child labour, the Chittoor-based NGO Rural Education and Liberty (REAL) on Thursday announced that its volunteers, in collaboration with Just Rights for Children (JRC), rescued as many as 40 children from exploitative labour across the district in the last one year. The REAL and JRC functionaries were taking part in the World Day Against Child Labour celebrations, here on Thursday. REAL director S. Rama Rao called on the Central and State governments to come up with proper funding and free education for up to 18 years, as the 'right deterrents against child labour issues,' and the creation of a dedicated rehabilitation fund for rescued children. He highlighted the growing efforts in combating child labour and stressed the importance and urgent need for strict enforcement, victim rehabilitation, and zero tolerance against child labour. JRC convenor Ravi Kant, meanwhile, said that India's commitment to International Labour Organisation Convention 182 held great importance. He said that the NGO had so far rescued over 85,000 children and initiated legal proceedings in more than 54,000 cases in two years across the country. The twin agencies said they had organised awareness campaigns across Chittoor, with undertakings from the community to eliminate child labour and usher in the right to education and dignity.

Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home vandalised in Bangladesh days after parking dispute
Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home vandalised in Bangladesh days after parking dispute

Scroll.in

time37 minutes ago

  • Scroll.in

Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home vandalised in Bangladesh days after parking dispute

The ancestral home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was vandalised on Tuesday in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district, two days after a parking dispute in the premises, state-owned news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported. The vandalisation at the Rabindra Kacharibari, or the Rabindra Memorial Museum, led to sharp condemnation in India from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress. On June 8, an altercation broke out at the memorial between a visitor and a staffer about a parking fee. The situation escalated when staff members allegedly confined the visitor in an office room, sparking public outrage, the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported. On June 10, a group of residents organised a human chain and protest rally near the Kacharibari. During their protest, a group of demonstrators entered the museum premises and vandalised its auditorium, the news agency reported. Bangladesh' Department of Archaeology formed a three-member committee to investigate the incident and assess damages. It is expected to submit its report within five days. The site has since been closed to visitors. The police have filed a case against 50 to 60 persons in connection with the incident, The Daily Star reported. However, no arrests have been made yet. The two-storey Kachharibari was bought by Dwarkanath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore's grandfather in 1840, according to The Daily Star. The poet spent a significant amount of time there, creating many of his notable literary works including Bishorjon, Sonar Tori, Chitra and Meyeli Chhara. Indian politicians condemn vandalism Leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress condemned the vandalism and demanded that Bangladeshi authorities act against the culprits. 'Rabindranath Tagore is no ordinary personality,' BJP MP Sambit Patra said. 'When his house has been attacked, his way of thinking has been attacked, we appeal to the world community to come together against this.' #WATCH | Delhi: On the attack on Rabindranath Tagore's house in Bangladesh, BJP MP Sambit Patra says, "Rabindranath Tagore is no ordinary personality. When his house has been attacked, his way of thinking has been attacked, we appeal to the world community to come together… — ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2025 The Trinamool Congress called on the Union government to take notice of the incident and 'initiate bilateral dialogue to ensure that the concerned authorities in Bangladesh act swiftly and bring the culprits to justice'. 'Our icons are not collateral damage for mob fury,' the party added. We strongly condemn the vandalism of Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore's ancestral home in Bangladesh's Sirajganj district. Gurudev is a symbol of Bengal's cultural heritage and a global icon of literature and humanism. Such acts of disrespect are an affront to every Bengali's… — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) June 12, 2025

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store