The gigantic mess left behind by years of shocking neglect might have raised a serious stink around the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex in Hanumanthnagar here. But a half-hearted, Rs 20 lakh revival plan by the BBMP in the pipeline could be too little too late. For, the critically decrepit 16-discipline infrastructure would require at least Rs. five crore to restore a semblance of its original state.
Now rotting in utter decay, the project had taken six years to build. But in 2004, when former Chief Minister S M Krishna unveiled part of the complex, only the tennis courts were ready. On Krishna’s recommendation, the Palike eventually released Rs. 22 crore.
Yet, the project’s final launch was delayed by another four years thanks to the government change and a mysterious lapse in clearing a key file for two years!
The file had to get the Cabinet’s clearance for BBMP to release the final bills. The contractors refused to hand over the keys to the Palike. As sources told Deccan Herald, the Public Works Department and the Finance Department sat on the file for 18 months. But big trouble courted the project even after its eventual approval in 2007-08: The then BBMP commissioner’s rejection of an agreement that the Palike and the Mahesh Bhupathi Academy could run the complex on a 50:50 sharing basis.
Catering to the sports needs of students from 156 government schools in South Bangalore figured high on this agreement’s agenda. The locals had to be given first priority in the use of facilities. But once the deal fell apart, the project’s downward slide was quick, the sources said.
Poorly drafted lease
As the complex degenerated, the Palike made a desperate attempt to get an agency to operate and maintain it. But no company responded to its first three tenders. Eventually, the complex was leased out to Arka Eduserve Pvt. Ltd. for three years at Rs. 10 lakh per year. Strangely though, the same agency was tasked with running a cultural centre in Hanumanthnagar, operating a mini train inside a park, an indoor sports complex in RPC Layout and a stadium in Ambedkarnagar with a uniform set of conditions.
Sources said this lease could have helped the complex in some way if the Palike had inked a formal agreement and maintained a record of the facilities while handing it over. Once the possession passed from BBMP to a private firm, Bescom started charging commercial rates. But the bills were paid on Palike rates. Bescom promptly disconnected power and the complex had to be run on generators.
Result: When the lease period ended, the Palike had a mountain of unpaid electricity and generator bills! Maintenance was only on paper, and commercial exploitation had taken precedence over priority for locals.
Once the sports complex landed in Srinagar ward (No. 156) from Hanumanthnagar (155) after the delimitation, the project’s upkeep took another nosedive. It continues in that decayed state today, with only the tennis courts in use.