Baramulla to Witness Major Expansion in Sports Infrastructure
In an exciting development, Baramulla is gearing up for a significant enhancement of its sports facilities, following the government’s recent announcement of upgrades to cricket, football, and hockey infrastructure. This decision comes in response to a query raised by MLA Javed Hassan Beig in the Legislative Assembly, highlighting the importance of sports development in the region.
One of the key highlights of the government’s plan is the major upgrade set for the Bipin Rawat cricket stadium. The stadium will undergo significant improvements, including the installation of high mast floodlights to facilitate day and night matches. Additionally, the stadium has already seen transformative upgrades such as state-of-the-art seating facilities, an indoor stadium with badminton courts, an all-weather net-practice pitch, a pavilion, and gender-based washroom facilities in the change rooms.
Furthermore, the newly constructed football stadium at Azad Gunj Baramulla is also poised for a makeover. A detailed project report worth Rs 170.64 lakhs has been prepared to enhance the stadium’s infrastructure, which includes proper seating arrangements, a pavilion, changing rooms with gender-based washrooms, and CCTV surveillance for safety and management purposes. This project is expected to be undertaken in the upcoming budget and will be a significant step in developing football infrastructure in the area.
Not stopping at cricket and football, Baramulla will also see the introduction of a modern hockey turf, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the local hockey enthusiasts. The district, known for producing top-class hockey players, will benefit from a modern hockey turf with floodlighting facilities. Several potential sites have been identified for this project, including Kanispora, Jahama, and Janbazpora, pending the transfer of land to the sports department.
Another noteworthy initiative is the proposal for the upgrade of the playfield at Frasthar Khawjabagh, aiming to provide enhanced sports facilities in the region. Previous plans for developing football grounds at Ushkara Baramulla and Ushkara Rangwar had to be abandoned due to land feasibility issues and objections from the state power development corporation. However, a fresh proposal worth Rs 100 lakh has been put forward for the Frasthar playfield, set to be included in the upcoming budget.
