THE GOAN NETWORK
CURCHOREM
Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) assistant engineer Deepak Lotlikar assured that the up-gradation work of the playground at Mirabag-Sanvordem will start in another six months.
“The up-gradation work of the playground was supposed to be taken up on priority basis and developed within a year, but tendering process, approval of the estimate and other related works take time, hence the work will start in another six months,” Lotlikar told The Goan.
The playground was earlier given on rent to the locals, but now it be given for free as the Director of Sports and Youth Affairs has decided to wave off all charges including deposit and rent.
The village youth have been playing and organising sports activities on the ground for years and it was also resolved in the Gram Sabhas, besides demand from the locals, to develop the ground and gymkhana (administrative) building, which is very old.
Sanvordem Sarpanch Sanjay Naik along with Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar and panchas worked to get approvals for the project and to bring the project into reality. In September 2015, DSYA director V M Prabhudesai, department engineers along with Sanvordem Panchayat members conducted joint inspection of the ground.
Sarpanch Sanjay Naik informed that the ground was in the possession of the government.
“Later, the panchayat took initiative to develop the playground following demand from the locals. During inspection, Prabhudesai assured us that the playground will get facelift and phase-wise development within 2 years,” he had said.
Naik had further informed that the ground will consist of special pitch for cricket and separate badminton court. “The existing gymkhana building will be renovated and new gymnasium, sports kits will be introduced. Changing rooms, toilets and administrative office was included in the plan, but we omitted swimming pool at this stage, due to space constraint,” Naik had said.
He had also said the ground was rented by SAG to the organisers or people who organised sports activities at Rs 300 per day and on condition of depositing Rs 3000, which will not be the case in future.
DSYA director has decided to give the ground for free to locals to organise sports activities as soon as it is developed. The ground will be developed by the DSYA and the project is estimated to go beyond Rs 1 crore, the sarpanch had said.
When contacted to inquire the delay in starting the up-graduation work, Deepak Lotlikar, who is looking after the work, said he was very much interested in starting the up-gradation work soon.
“Recently, we measured the entire ground and by mid-February, the total estimate of the project will be ready. Tendering process, approval of the project estimate, etc, will take about 4 months. The up-gradation work will definitely commence in six months time,” assured Lotlikar.
