2 years and counting: No sign of sports complex

Rajendranagar: The proposal of a comprehensive sports complex in Shastripuram Colony which was approved in 2018 is yet to see the light of the day.

According to locals, there was an administrative sanction of Rs 6 crore for the construction of the complex, but no concrete steps have been taken during the last two years.

"The sports complex might have been completed by now had the authorities taken up the project soon after it got the approval. Two months back, GHMC officials visited the spot, but with a different plan of grounding a swimming pool, to which local residents objected prompting the officials to leave the spot barehanded", said Mohd Imran, a resident of Shastripuram.

" The residents are OK with the proposal of an indoor stadium, except marine sports that would attract overcrowding and nuisance, thereby disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of the residential colony," he remarked.

Locals have pointed out that, unlike other areas of GHMC, Shastripuram Colony is in utter negligible state in terms of resident-oriented facilities despite having several open spaces from 250 to 2,700 square yards allotted to promote facilities, like a school, a sports complex, a market committee, a bank, gardens and recreational parks. Syed Shoukat Ali, a senior resident of the colony, said this single largest HUDA layout settlement in Rajendranagar which is spread over 278 acres is much privileged in terms of having open spaces to promote resident-oriented amusement facilities.

"Despite approval of a sports complex no concrete measures were taken so far to realise the project," he rued. "Let alone the construction of a comprehensive sports complex here, they do not even maintain the open spaces properly. The gate of the plot selected to promote the sports complex has broken apart. Sewerage overflowing from nearby houses is directly getting into the plot. Amusement tools erected in the open area have completely worn-out as they are not being maintained properly," bemoaned another resident Mir Mushtaq Mirza.