A full-fledged Khelo India sports complex estimated at ₹ 100 crore will be set up under the Smart City project to promote sports activities here, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said.
Mr. Joshi was speaking after inaugurating a swimming pool and smart health and smart school projects taken up under the Smart City project here on Sunday. He also launched other projects, including market yards at Bengeri and Unkal, a multi-parking complex, a smart road and a children’s train.
Mr. Joshi said that it was decided to set up the sports complex as part of the efforts to accomplish Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Fit India campaign. It is one of his ambitions to see India fit and healthy for, the progress of the nation heavily depends on the health conditions of the people. Healthy people only could contribute to the progress as well as prosperity of the nation. Therefore, more focus would be given to providing health facilities. The Smart Health project has been launched at the Chitaguppi Hospital here. Henceforth, it would be possible to do diagnosis and health check-up in a speedy manner and generate computerised health reports through artificial intelligence, he added.
Mr. Joshi said that, henceforth, these facilities have to be maintained by the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) and asked the HDMC officials to see that these facilities are maintained properly and also ensure that the city remains dust free.
A plan to utilise Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to develop the sports facilities is being worked out. Accordingly, the swimming pool, which is being constructed at a cost of ₹ 15 crore near the Deputy Commissioner’s office compound in Dharwad would be upgraded to a sports complex. The public sector Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is ready to provide ₹ 15 crore additional grants required for this project. This apart, it has been decided to construct stadiums in all taluks utilising CSR funds. The government is committed to supporting sports activities and it has set a target of nurturing more number of sportspersons to win more number of laurels at international sports competitions, he said. Medium and Large Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar, who presided over the function, said that several development works which were halted half way have been resumed. The formal inauguration of the BRTS project would be done shortly. As a prelude to the Investors Meet scheduled on February 14, road shows would be held in Mumbai and Hyderabad on January 29, he said.
Smart City managing director C.W. Shakeel Ahmed said that of the 55 works finalised under the Smart City project, nine have been completed. On the cost of the newly inaugurated projects, he said that ₹ 3.3 crore has been spent for the swimming pool, ₹ 3.6 crore for Smart Health and ₹ 1.17 crore has been spent for the Smart School. Similarly, work on developing market yards at Bengeri (₹ 6.08 crore), Unkal (₹ 2.09 crore) and the multi-parking facility (₹ 4.59 crore) would be completed shortly, he said.
