The Warjaintia Students Union (WJSU) has alleged that construction work on the synthetic football turf at the Amlarem Subdivision Sports Association ground is “grossly sub-standard”.
In a release yesterday, the WJSU said that a delegation of the pressure group inspected the site at Ladjaplem and found that the drainage construction is of grossly sub-standard quality despite the Rs 34.21 lakh price tag. “Based on technical observations and local contractor feedback, the quality and quantity of materials used do not reflect even 25 percent of the claimed expenditure,” the statement said. “We strongly urge the Director of the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs to inspect this matter personally and instruct for immediate rectification”.
The WJSU also found fault with the chainlink fence around the ground, not for technical reasons but because it resembles an “animal enclosure rather than a professional sports facility”, which “insults the dignity of players and football fans” as well as being a violation of “the spirit of modern stadium design, where un obstructed viewing and safety coexist without demeaning barriers.”
The union also called the allocation of Rs 52.35 lakh for repair and renovation work “unjustified” given what its members saw on the ground. The statement said that no significant structures exist to warrant renovation and that a gallery at the ground is actually below the level of the football field.
Then there is the installation cost of the artificial turf, which the WJSU claims is Rs 4.82 crore. This, it said, is well above “industry estimates” of Rs 1.85 crore and raises “serious concerns about possible inflation of costs and misappropriation of taxpayers money.”
