Central team in state to oversee preparations

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Central team visiting Kerala to oversee the preparations for the 35th National Games here, has expressed apprehensions about the work done at some of the venues, while  saying that the overall progress of the work was going as per schedule.  The Central team under the leadership of  Central sports joint secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, Sports Authority of India (SAI) secretary Gopal Krishna, deputy advisor Planning Commission (education and sports) Raman Singh visited Pirappancode swimming pool, Jimmy George indoor stadium and University Stadium.   Kerala Olympic Association president M M Abdurehman and LNCPE principal and SAI (Kerala Region) director, G Kishore accompanied the team.  “The first day of our visit was fruitful. The work in the two stadiums (University and Jimmy George) and the swimming pool in Pirappancode is progressing steadily. They had prioritised the works into three and we expect it to finish on time,” Rahul Bhatnagar told  Express.   The team was taken aback when it learned about how Rs one-and-a-half crore was wasted for the renovation of the Water Works’ swimming pool beside the Jimmy George Stadium.     The State Government had started constructing a new pool here ignoring the fact that a water supply pipeline ran beneath it. The work has been suspended now.  The state has also asked for Rs 120 crore to finish the game-related works which is expected to cost nearly Rs 600 crore, in an  urgent manner, while promising the Central team that the work would be completed in a time-bound manner. CM’s Principal Secretary Dinesh Sharma and Sports secretary M Shivasankar participated in the discussions with the Central team. The Union Government has already granted Rs 110 crore for the games which would be held in seven districts.    The team  would return to the city on Saturday morning, after spending the night in Kanayakumari and visit other venues of the games including Attingal and Kollam.   They will also hold a discussion with Sports Minister K B Ganesh Kumar on Saturday at Bolgatty Palace, Kochi .