Pala: The municipal synthetic stadium in Pala is facing a host of problems. For instance, the sports equipment taken from the stadium for the college games held in Kozhikode are gone for ever. They will not be returned. Though sports council officials have said that brand new equipment would replace the lost items, nobody believes them. It was on February 23 night that the equipment was taken to Kozhikode. The municipality was earlier informed that the equipment would be returned after the games.
The items taken to Kozhikode include pole vault mat, high jump mat, cross bar, hurdles, shot, disc, javelin, hammer, folding chairs and cones. The equipment had been brought to Pala for the state schools sports meet in October, last year. After the school games, the district sports council was in charge of the equipment.
New gym
Procedures for awarding tender for setting up a gymnasium in the area below the swimming pool have been completed. Private parties will manage the gymnasium by paying a deposit of Rs 3 lakh and a monthly rent of 40,000. However, several problems persist. One is that the gymnasium will come up in a section of the parking area. Another is that during big events at the stadium, the registration counter and food stalls are set up in this area. The worst issue is that the gymnasium will be located above the sewage tanks of the stadium’s wash rooms. One can imagine the situation which demands the opening of the tanks after the gym starts functioning.
Pool to be privatised
Realising that maintenance of the swimming pool was a costly affair, the municipality has decided to hand over the facility to private agencies. However, there has been little response. The authorities’ plan is to increase the revenue of the municipality by roping in private players for running the gym and pool.
All-round apathy persists
The Pala municipality has appointed a committee to oversee maintenance of the stadium, but its functioning is marked by lethargy. For instance, the committee has done nothing to install lighting in all areas of the stadium. It has also taken no steps to purchase a lawn mower even after the required sanctions were given. Though the stadium needs a big gallery, the panel has not even discussed the issue. For hosting major events, the stadium needs more wash rooms. Though a proposal in this regard was placed before the committee, it has paid no heed. A decision is pending even on a simple request to allow entry of morning and evening walkers to the stadium.
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