The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is all set to take over construction of the massive sports complex from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority at Katedan.
In an effort to provide state-of-the-art facilities for different sports disciplines in the Old City, the HMDA in 2007 had initiated work on the sports complex spread over nine acres at Katedan. The project was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.7 crore with courts proposed for basketball, volleyball and kabbadi along with an indoor stadium.
However, after spending Rs. 2 crore on works such as site development, compound wall construction and setting up of courts, the urban planning body was forced to halt the project, thanks to its empty coffers. It has been almost three years since then. With HMDA unable to raise funds for the project, what now remains is the skeleton structure of the sports complex.
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GHMC has now decided to take over the project from HMDA and complete the pending works. The Standing Committee too has given its approval for the same. An assessment of budget required for completion of works including construction of the indoor stadium and setting up of ancillary works of roads, pathways etc, is said to be around Rs.7.5 crore.
“We had spent around Rs.2 crore for setting up basic infrastructure for basketball, volleyball and kabbadi courts. Even works pertaining to the indoor stadium were completed till lintel level,” HMDA Chief Engineer V. Madhwaraj said. Of the Rs.7.5 crore, the GHMC has decided to spend Rs.4.9 crore in the first phase for works such as covering the playing arena with shell roof and providing other basic and mandatory amenities so as to make the sports complex functional. Once the premises become operational, the remaining works will be taken up as per necessity.