Giving a fillip to the sports infrastructure in the district under Mission Tandarust Punjab, Member Parliament Chaudhary Santokh Singh accompanied by MLAs Rajinder Beri, Chaudhary Surinder Singh, Mayor Jagdish Raj Raja, and Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori inaugurated the construction work of 11 model playgrounds (one in each block) at the cost of worth Rs. 99 Lakhs on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti.The similar launching events were held simultaneously in all the districts, with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh virtually launched the project of construction work of 750 model playgrounds in the state from Chandigarh.Divulging more, Lok Sabha MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh said that the government had decided to mark the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi uniquely, following which the construction work of 750 model playgrounds in the state was started today.These modern sports infrastructure would not only instil a sense of sportsmanship among youth but also encourage them especially the rural folk to come forward and connect with the sports adding the Member Parliament said that the model playgrounds would comprise volleyball, Kabaddi, and basketball grounds, badminton courts, open gymnasiums, walking area, solar camp lighting, boundary walls, and many more facilities. He said that construction work would be completed within six months of the commencement of the projects.Interacting with the media, Chaudhary said that in the first phase the construction work of 11 model playgrounds has been inaugurated today that includes one playground for each development block.
Giving block-wise construction details of these 11 playgrounds, Chaudhary said that a model playground to be developed in the village sarobad of Adampur block. Similarly, construction of playgrounds at village Chak Shakur of Bhogpur block, Parasrampur of Jalandhar east, Ispur of Jalandhar west, Jamsher Lohian, Bulanda of Mehatpur, Littran of Nakodar, Rajowal of Nurmahal, Dosanjh Kalan of Phillaur, Daduwal of Rurka Kalan, and village Talwandi Sanghera of Shahkot development block to be started alongside.A whopping amount of worth Rs. 99 Lakhs to be spent on the first phase, and the remaining 44 playgrounds to be started in the coming days as modalities for these were already underway, added the MP.He noted that this move would play a pivotal role in the promotion of sports and other social activities in the district as sports enable the youths to compete with their peers across the globe in an effective manner.Chaudhary said that the sports act as a catalyst in making Punjab a drug-free state as sportsman spirit amongst the youth would help channelize their unbounded energy in a positive direction. The MP mentioned that these model playfields would help youth bring laurels for the country in sporting events besides ensuring the best of the training facilities at the block level.Pointing out further, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said three types of playgrounds to be raised in the blocks varying their size that includes the playgrounds in one-acre of land, two acres, and four -acres.The Deputy Commissioner added that the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was committed to promoting the sports by building these model playfields which would help them to excel in their lives by providing them requisite sports infrastructure.Besides all, the construction work of these playfields would ensure jobs to the hundreds of rural people under the Mahatma Gandhi-National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA).Prominent among others present includes Additional Deputy commissioner Jasbir Singh, SDM Dr. Jai Inder Singh, DDPO Iqbal Singh, BDPO Sukhbir Kaur, Congress leaders Sukhwinder Lalli, Honey Joshi, IT Manager NREGRA Kritika Thakur and others.