Baramulla to get state-of-the-art sports facilities: Govt
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday laid out a roadmap to develop Baramulla into a sporting destination, announcing a series of infrastructure projects including a major upgrade for the Bipin Rawat Cricket Stadium and new facilities for football and hockey.
The plans were detailed in a written government reply in response to queries from Baramulla legislator Javid Hassan Baig.
A key highlight is the proposed transformation of the Bipin Rawat Cricket Stadium. The upgrade plan envisages a modern stadium with tip-up seating under tensile roofing, a dedicated indoor badminton stadium, and an all-weather net practice facility. A proposal to install high-mast floodlights for night sports is under departmental consideration.
For football, the government has readied a Detailed Project Report (DPR) worth Rs 1.70 crore to upgrade the Azad Gunj Football Stadium. The project includes enhanced seating, a new pavilion with change rooms, gender-based washrooms, and CCTV installation, with work expected to start in the upcoming budget.
In a significant push for hockey, a Rs 11.23 crore DPR has been finalised for constructing a new Hockey Turf Ground in Baramulla, complete with a floodlighting system. Potential sites at Knaispora, Juhama, and Janbazpora have been identified, subject to land transfer formalities.
On the demand for a football ground in Ushkara, the government informed that an earlier site faced objections. As per the local MLA’s direction, a new project for a playfield at Frastahar Khawja Bagh, estimated at Rs 1 crore, has been proposed for the 2026-27 UT Capex Budget.
The reply was furnished by the Assistant Director (Planning) of the Youth Services and Sports Department. (KNS)
