Himachal: Tension due to the problem of stray animals

Himachal Pradesh: The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has shelved its long-pending proposal to build a multipurpose sports stadium, effectively killing the dream of adding an international-class sports facility to the holy city’s landscape. Originally planned to be built on 25 acres of prime land in E-block of Ranjit Avenue, the sports complex was to include both indoor and outdoor stadiums for multiple sports. However, delays in the execution of the project have led to skyrocketing land prices, now ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh per acre, making the project financially unviable. In a significant change, the trust has removed the foundation stone laid for the sports stadium and replaced the proposal with a commercial project in collaboration with the central government. A massive Unity Mall will now be constructed on the 10-acre land. The Punjab Public Works Department (PWD) has already issued a tender for the construction of the mall, which is estimated to cost Rs 153.2 crore and will take 24 months to complete. The mall aims to promote handicraft products of Punjab in a modern environment, for the tourists who visit Amritsar daily.
The project will also include a “one district one product” initiative, allowing artisans from across the state to showcase their products. The shift from a sports stadium to a commercial project has caused concern among local sports enthusiasts. The change in plans is a disappointment for those who expected a state-of-the-art sports complex as promised by several political leaders. Former chief ministers Captain Amarinder Singh and Charanjit Singh Channi, along with deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, had all laid the foundation stone of the sports stadium during their respective tenures, and each had made a public promise to enhance sports infrastructure in the city. Senior player Sohan Singh said the fate of the sports stadium reflects the level of attention given to it by successive governments. Singh pointed out that in January 2022, Charanjit Singh Channi became the third dignitary to lay the foundation stone of the stadium, after Sukhbir Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh did so in 2011.

Singh stressed that the project would not require a lot of investment, as most of the stadium’s infrastructure was planned to be in the open. The concept of the sports complex was first proposed 15 years ago, but construction was delayed as the site fell in a no-construction zone due to its proximity to the bypass. Since the bypass was later reclassified as the Inner Ring Road, the land became eligible for development. However, the trust has now ruled out any future sports infrastructure on the remaining 15 acres of land, which will be used for commercial use. Trust officials clarified that the land was never officially notified by the government for sports development. Despite the original plans, the land is now being repurposed for commercial use. Several attempts were made to contact Ashok Talwar, chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust, for further comment, but there was no response.