Nearly two years after the inauguration by LG Manoj Singh, the Poonch Hockey Astroturf project is not completed yet

Nearly two years after the inauguration by LG Manoj Singh, the Poonch Hockey Astroturf project is not completed yet

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: After decades of struggle, Hockey Poonch was given the Astroturf project, which was inaugurated by LG Manoj Sinha on September 13, 2022.

The project was earlier started in 2020, and its foundation was laid by former LG G.C. Murmu, but it’s sad that even after two years of its inauguration by present LG Manoj Sinha, the remaining part of the project has not been started yet. Sitting arrangements, a pavilion, and changing rooms are not constructed yet. Moreover, a 65 KVA stabilizer, which is needed for sprinkling of water daily, has not been installed yet. The said stabilizer costs only Rs 2.5 lac. Although the matter was brought to the notice of Member Parliament Mian Altaf in the interest of hockey players by NIS hockey coach Matinder Pal Singh, who is also the owner of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur hockey club, and on the direction of M.P. Mian Altaf, former DC Poonch directed the PDD department to install the same, but nothing has been done yet. Moreover, due to the poor response of the concerned department, the remaining portion of the project has not been started even after the inauguration of the playing field by L.G. Manoj Sinha nearly two years ago. It is important to mention here that considering the huge potential of hockey in Poonch, the LG’s administration fulfilled the demand of providing Astroturf to the people of Poonch, but unfortunately, the project is still incomplete, as just for a 65 KVA transformer worth Rs 2.5 to 3 lacs for sprinkling regular water on the field, the players are unable to do regular practice for very long. Many turf projects were started and completed within six months in other parts of J&K UT, but the project in Poonch is still incomplete. On the one hand, the government wants to create a better sports infrastructure for sportspersons throughout the UT of J&K, but it’s sad that the Poonch hockey project is still not completed. Moreover, the emergence of Congress grass near the turf has raised a big question mark on the concerned department, as the concerned officials have failed to restore the beauty of the turf by cleaning the inner and outer areas of the playing field.  The project was awarded to Poonch because of a decades-old brilliant history of Poonch hockey, but due to the sorry state of affairs on the part of the concerned department, the project is still incomplete. Even after the directions of MP Mian Altaf and former DC Poonch, the concerned PDD department has not installed the 65 KVA stabilizer for regular sprinkling of water on the field, which will allow the players to do regular practice. Will the district administration solve this issue on priority in the interest of hockey players who are blessed with huge potential to play at national and international levels?