Ranchi Club will focus on physical fitness for its members.

Ranchi, Oct. 25: Have fun and keep in shape.

Ranchi Club, Jharkhand’s oldest, has drawn up an ambitious plan for a sports-cum-fitness complex for its over 1,200 members.

Brainchild of president Ajay Maroo, the complex, expected to cost around Rs 2 crore, will come up on the sprawling 9-acre campus of the club established in 1886 within the next three of four years.

“We want to change the impression that clubs are only meant for drinking, playing cards or having fun and revelry. We want members and their children to also focus on physical fitness and hence the plan to set up a sports complex having a variety of indoor games and a fully loaded health club. The complex will be so attractive that members develop an interest to remain fit and healthy,” said Maroo, 48, a Rajya Sabha MP who is serving as president for the fourth term.

The club has a health club, swimming pool and a host of other facilities and regularly holds sports and entertainment events. But, Maroo said, there was a dearth of sporting activities which spurred the plan for the complex.

Maroo, accompanied by secretary Sunil Verma and an architect, will shortly visit top clubs in Ahmedabad, Gurgaon and Ludhiana for tips on how to convert the establishment into one of India’s best.

The MP, who has been editor as well, conceived and built the Rs 60-lakh multipurpose hall on the campus — the biggest money spinner for the club — and informed that for the first time, a master plan has been drawn up which will be realised in the next 4-5 years.

“The change of guard resulted in a change in priorities, which adversely affected the club. So we have prepared a master plan which will be followed by anyone who is in the president’s chair. The sports complex is part of the master plan and it will be completed in three to four years,” he said.

If there’s one thing that Maroo is unhappy with, it’s discipline. He recalls that discipline was strict when he joined the club in 1982, following in the footsteps of his father, Sitaram Maroo, who became a member in 1963. Children were not allowed on the club premises after 7.30 pm and entering the bar was a strict no-no. “Today members with their children remain in the bar till 11 pm. I have no hesitation in admitting that some of the younger members do not know how to respect seniors. But I have tried to enforce discipline. A few members have been suspended for up to three months for indiscipline. The situation is gradually improving and thankfully the members are co-operating,” he said.

Also a founder-member of Ranchi Gymkhana Club, Maroo said his achievements include construction of the multipurpose hall, family lounge and restaurant near the directors’ quarters. “Over Rs 1 crore has been spent on development during my tenure and in the next three or four years, Ranchi Club will have a new look,” he said.

His aim is to turn the establishment into a family club, like Gymkhana. “I have learnt discipline from Ranchi Gymkhana Club. I want Ranchi Club to remain a family club. There are two families that have members from three generations. Soon we are going to honour them and this will also send a message,” Maroo said.

Indiscipline, he believes, takes place due to faulty selection of members or due to weak management. “But with cooperation of the members we will solve the problem in Ranchi Club,” he says. For starters, new membership, except for sons and brother of a member, has been banned.

New members have to pay Rs 60,000 as enrolment fee, a cool lakh less than what charged by Gymkhana. “We have changed a few norms for enrolment. Now only dignitaries like high court judges, chief secretary, GOC and DGP are appointed honorary members and barring the enrolment fee they have to pay for everything. We have started a new courtesy membership for IAS, IPS and IRS officials posted in Ranchi. They also have to pay on a par with regular members except for the enrolment fees. We decided to grant courtesy membership to all India service officials so they get some recreational opportunities while being posted in Ranchi,” he said.