Secunderabad: Sports Stadium on verge of being lost
Several public associations stage a silent protest in front of the RRC ground on Tuesday Photo: Adula Krishna
Secunderabad: Opposing the commercial development on railway recreation club land, several public associations staged a silent protest in front of the RRC ground on Tuesday.
This complex is in a pleasant environment and should be used by all, should not be privatized expressed the protesters. "Daily many people visit this ground for walking, exercise, running and other sports that helps to improve people's health. It is cruel and unfair on the part of central government to privatise without even leaving these spaces for common people to relax," fumed the protestors. As per the sources 19 acres RRC ground would be handed over to Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to conduct techno-economic studies for commercial development. It will be leased out once the study is completed and tenders would be passed for development. Daily around 1500 people use this space for walking, exercise, sports. These include Cricket Ground (International Standard), Athletic Ground, Football Ground, Synthetic Hockey Stadium, Handball Court, Kabaddi Court, Co-Co Court, Basketball Outdoor Court Basketball Indoor Court, Boxing Hall, Weightlifting Hall, Body Building Hall, Volleyball Court-2, Beach Volleyball Court, Table Tennis Hall, Tennis Coats-6, Billiards Hall, Swimming Pool (International Standard), Multi Purpose Indoor Stadium (10,000 people seating capacity), Shuttle Badminton Court, A / C Gymnasium, Ball Badminton Court, Annapurna Mess, 400 running track, 1.8 KM walking track.
K Siva Kumar, assistant general secretary, SCR Mazdoor Union, said, "We are against this privatisation. We need to encourage sport and game particularly in India, as our country lacks in sport globally instead of giving encouragement to sport personality and also providing various infrastructure in the open space, railway is planning for privatisation."
Furthermore M Ajay Babu, city president, Telangana Parents Association said that if the railways do not take back the decision, they would intensify the agitation take up large scale protests.