SAI's stadium plan hits Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike hurdle

BENGALURU: The Sports Authority of India's attempt to take over the KitturRaniChennamma stadium in Jayanagar and revamp it has run into a wall.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, which owns the stadium, had promised in October it would complete all pending works in two months and hand over the facility to SAI.With crores invested for the same and the deadline having ended, BBMP top brass say they know nothing about the collaboration with SAI or the takeover bid.The SAI chief has quit, leaving the plan in limbo. The stadium, which can accommodate around 20,000 spectators, was to be revamped to accommodate SAI's training centre and promote health and fitness among the masses through its `community connect' programme. The programme had been launched with great fanfare in New Delhi last year. SAI director-general Jiji Thomson had led the talks with BBMP officials in October at the behest of Union minister Ananth Kumar. But a few days ago, he quit in a huff alleging that his promotion was stalled for no legitimate reason.
Surprisingly , BBMP commissioner M Lakshminarayana and joint commissioner (south zone) AB Hemachandra were in the dark about Thomson's move and fate of the project as well. Obviously , Palike engineers, who attended the meeting along with corporators of the area and MLA BN Vijayakumar, hadn't briefed them about decisions taken.
“This matter has not come to my notice so far. Till today, SAI authorities have not approached me,“ Lakshminarayana told TOI.
Even Hemachandra, who ought to have been kept in the loop about projects in his zone, was clueless. “There seems to be lack of communication on this. Not much progress seems to have been made,“ he said.
Vijayakumar too had little to say: “SAI has not withdrawn from the project nor has much progress been made in the matter.“
“Vijayakumar and the corporators told us we could help in upgrading the facility for South Bengaluru residents, streamlining sports activities in basketball, volleyball, kabaddi and other sports and provide training to schoolchil dren who use it. We thought of using our coaches to identify talent which can be considered for our schemes later,“ Thomson had told TOI. “The BBMP , which owns the stadium, was also keen that SAI take over the facility. Apparently , maintenance was an issue owing to shortage of funds.“
SAI laid down the condition that the 10-acre property be leased to it for 33 years at Rs 1 per acre annually . They would be the sole authority to upgrade or modify the infrastructure if necessary .
“The Kerala government transferred the Trivandrum Golf Course to SAI on this basis. We have set up a golf academy which caters to all. We thought of replicating it in Bengaluru,“ Thomson said.
But SAI's takeover has naysayers from within and outside the BBMP .
“For one, residents of the area feared that their access to the facility would be restricted as every activity would have to be paid for. Also, over 30 schools in the neighbourhood, which have no play area within their premises, use the stadium for sports activities. They pay a nominal fee of Rs 5,000 per month. In the process, vested interests got their cut too. If SAI takes over, there are chances that the users might have to shell out more,“ a source said.
Times View
The Kittur Rani Chennamma stadium had the potential to be upgraded to a world-class facility, but remained a poor country cousin to the more famous Sree Kanteerava stadium thanks to official apathy. In recent years, BBMP invested crores on the stadium but could not introduce a professional set-up to maintain it. Schoolchildren and residents of the area used the facility, but the chaos was unmistakeable. The Sports Authority of India, which had launched its community connect programmes at its stadia in New Delhi for a nominal fee, would have streamlined the facility while encouraging participation.The discussions in October centred around this pertinent point. It is time BBMP redoubled its efforts to rope in SAI to run the show.