Even before allowing international cricket players to take guard, at the newly laid ‘grassy’ cricket pitch of Maulana Azad Stadium, the J&K administration has decided to throw open the gates of the stadium to the marching contigents of the Indian Army, J&K Police and paramilitary forces on the occasion of 71st Republic day function in January 2020.
Maulana Azad stadium, originally opened on January 25, 1962 by the then Prime Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, was recently upgraded and renovated at a whopping cost of 42 crores, under Prime Ministers’ Development Package, with world class facilities on the guidelines of International Cricket Council.
The objective was to provide world class facilities in the region to host international cricket matches and IPL league matches and boost local talent.
Though local players,initially opposed the decision of the divisional authorities and made passionate appeals to save the newly laid cricketing field, the administration ignored them and went ahead with their ‘unilateral’ decision.
In the beginning of this week, the local authorities even handed over the custody of the stadium to security personnel to ensure incident free Republic day celebrations.
Ever since,venue of the state function, was targeted by the terrorists in 1995, elaborate security arrangements are made to ensure incident free celebrations.
On January 26, 1995 when former Governor General (Retd) KV Krishna Rao was taking salute after unfurling the tricolor, three bombs were set off by the terrorists resulting in eight deaths and fifty four injuries. Governor himself had narrowly escaped the blast.
On ground zero, the project executing agency National Project Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC) is racing against time to complete the pending works inside the stadium.
The ambitious project has already missed several deadlines after renovation work started in February 2018.
Renovation work included extension of main pavilion and up-gradation as per Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) norms , up-gradation of seating area, installation of chairs, provision of public toilets, food plaza, flood lights for stadium, cricket ground with natural surface , practice pitch, proper drainage and other additional facilities.
Large number of players staged demonstrations to pressurise officials of J&K Sports Council from preventing misuse of newly upgraded stadium but in vain.
Speaking to this correspondent, local players alleged besides march past drill, heavy artillery guns are displayed during the Republic Day parade along with tableau of different departments.
We have genuine fears, if all these activities were permitted to take place chances are that the newly laid green turf will suffer damages,leading to further delay in completion of work.
They claimed, daredevil motorcyclists perform gravity defying stunts in the main ground and thousands of people throng the venue to witness the state function. They may converge at the ground during the state function leading to irreparable losses.