MC's sports infrastructure to be operated on PPP basis

Finally, people can look forward to some improvement in sports infrastructure under the municipal corporation (MC) as the civic body has decided to handover its swimming pool, skating rink, badminton court, squash court, weightlifting arena and table tennis court on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis for operating and maintenance.

MC has invited the associations/organisations to place the bids and those placing successful bids will be selected to operate and maintain the sports infrastructure. The MC has invited the bids on February 11 when the technical bid will be opened.

The MC is also going to hold a meeting in this regard on Friday, while the interested associations can also give suggestions regarding respective games.

At present, the weightlifting hall, badminton court, squash court, swimming pool, badminton court and skating rink are waiting for attention and development, but nothing was done in this regard as the civic body was facing shortage of funds.

According to the MC, the selected firms will have to pay the electricity charges, besides ensuring maintenance and development.

A senior member of a sports association, on condition of anonymity, said, "It is a good step by the civic body. If the selected firms work for benefit of the players then it will be good. The civic body should ensure that the selected association should mainten the sports infrastructure properly."

It is pertinent to mention here that the players have been demanding to maintain the skating rink near Leisure Valley. Besides, the condition of weightlifting hall, near Rakh Bagh, is also in pitiable condition.

Ravinder Singh, a resident, said, "There is also need to ensure cleaning of swimming pool and functioning of proper filtration process. The weightlifting hall needs attention as its current condition is pitiable and requires renovation. The civic body should ensure that the association that will place successful bid should not make any kind of discrimination with any player."

Additional Commissioner, Ghanshyam Thori, said, "We have decided to handover the maintenance and operation of sports infrastructure on PPP basis. We have also asked the associations that the membership fee should be between Rs 500-1000 monthly so that no association could charge high fee."

"We have also mentioned in the conditions that the games that are organised by the government will be also allowed as per requirement", said Thori. harshraj.singh@hindustantimes.com