The Nabakrushna Choudhury Sports Complex-cum-Stadium in Jagatsinghpur. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Oct. 9: Following ruling of the apex court, Jagatsinghpur district administration has made the premier sports complex here free from police occupation.

The government-run Nabakrushna Choudhury Sports Complex-cum-Stadium in Jagatsinghpur was earlier used to house police forces engaged in law and order maintenance in Posco steel project areas. The administration’s decision to provide temporary shelter to policemen in the complex had kicked up a row.

“About 15 platoons of armed police forces, which were on rotational duty in the Posco project area, were put up in the stadium complex. But the forces have now been shifted from the sports complex. As the land acquisition and ancillary project-related work now stands suspended, police forces have been shifted to Cuttack and Kendrapara,” said Pramod Sahani, inspector, Jagatsinghpur reserve police.

Keeping in view the fact that the Supreme Court had called for the use of stadium complexes for promotion of sports and games only, the forces had to be withdrawn, he added.

Chastised by the Nation Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on earlier occasions, the district authorities had withdrawn the police forces from school buildings on the periphery of the proposed steel project. The administration had to encounter volleys of criticism for converting the schools into barracks, thereby impeding academic activities.

After being forced to vacate the school premises, the beleaguered authorities thought it would be better to remove the police forces in the face of apex court’s observation with regard to the judicious use of sports complexes across the country.

“The Supreme Court had observed that no sports complex or stadium owned and run by the government could be used for non-sporting activity. Such occupation by police, therefore, was an act of impropriety on part of authorities concerned. By vacating the stadium, the administration has mended the wrong,” said Dolagobind Das, secretary, Jagatsinghpur District Athletic Association.

Jagatsinghpur SP S. Devidatta Singh said: “The existing infrastructure at the district reserve police barrack was inadequate to house the armed police contingents. Thus, we had requested the district collector to provide accommodation facility. The policemen had been provided shelter in the stadium as per the administrative order. They have, however, been withdrawn from the stadium now.”