Wallowing in neglect for years, Dhanbad's Randhir Prasad Verma Stadium, popularly known as Golf Ground, will win back its soccer glory soon.
The 75,000sqft arena located in the heart of the city on Luby Circular Road, less than 500 metres from the residence of Dhanbad senior superintendent of police, will be developed into a multi-sports complex, boasting a football ground of international standard, facilities for basketball, volleyball and roller-skating and academies for soccer and cricket coaching.
Jogging tracks and an exercise station are also on the cards.
The initiative to develop the stadium was spurred during the tenure of former deputy commissioner of Dhanbad K.N. Jha earlier this year, who, during a visit of the stadium, had instructed Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) to revamp it.
DMC has already set the ball rolling for the detailed project report, issuing a notice on the government website, www.jharkhand.gov.in, on Sunday to invite expression of interest.
"Technical and financial proposals from empanelled consultants of the urban development department will be accepted till August 23. All applicants will have to present their concepts through PowerPoint presentations. The selected agency will have to prepare the DPR within a month so that we can initiate the process for issuing tenders for the stadium's facelift," said Dhanbad mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal.
If everything goes on expected lines, the process for developing the stadium might be initiated at the end of the year, he added.
In the pre-Independence era, the stadium was initially a golf course, used by the British officers. In late 60s and 70s, the government developed it as a shooting range for police and other armed forces. But because of ever-increasing population in the area, shooting practice had to be stopped and the ground was only open for morning walkers and for hosting local football matches.
After the death of former SP of Dhanbad Randhir Prasad Verma on January 3, 1991, the district administration developed a boundary wall around the ground, which was rechristened as Randhir Prasad Verma Stadium.
In 2001, money from the local area fund of Rita Verma, then Dhanbad MP and wife of Randhir Prasad, was used to build a pavilion and seats. Since then, several local football tournaments, including Randhir Prasad Verma Memorial Football Tournament, used to be organised at the ground by Dhanbad Football Association.
"The stadium was developed as a multi-sports ground in 2001, but lost its sheen and usability due to poor upkeep and negligence by the authorities. At present, the facility is in very poor shape while local football players are compelled to go to distant places like BCCL's Sijua Football Stadium and Tata Steel's Digwadih Stadium - both more than 15km from the district headquarters - to take part in matches," said president of Dhanbad Football Association Jubair Alam.
He went on to add that if the ground was developed as an international-level football stadium, Dhanbad, which once produced a majority of state-level players, will get back its lost soccer credentials. "Till the late 70s, football was one of the main sports of Dhanbad when Railway Ground was available for organising matches. Later, it became a cricket stadium."
Do you think the Golf Ground facelift will drag on for years like most projects in Jharkhand? Tell tkhand@abpmail.com
