MAWKYRWAT: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has expressed fear that the much awaited artificial football turf in Mawkyrwat, South West Khasi Hills, will not see the light of day because the contractor has yet to start work even six months after the laying if the foundation stone with the materials having started to deteriorate.
The state government sanctioned several lakh rupees for the artificial football turf to be laid at the stadium of the Mawkyrwat District Sports Association (MDSA).
The work has been allocated to the Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDC) and the foundation stone was laid on February 4 by the Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs, Zenith M Sangma.
Speaking to media persons on Saturday after inspecting the lack of progress in laying of artificial turf at the MDSA Stadium, President of the KSU Mawkyrwat Circle, Forwardman Nongrem, said that the delay in the execution of the work shows that the contractor is not responsible enough to carry it out and complete the project on time.
“We are concerned that the work may not be able to be completed because the materials, like the rubber layer (under the turf) has started to spread out in the ground,” Nongrem said.
He drew comparisons with the state of the astroturf and the lack of a mini-stadium on the same premises of the football ground, which was sanctioned in the 1990s but has yet to be properly constructed.
The MDSA mini-stadium lacks a gallery for spectators, which a similar complex in Mairang, West Khasi Hills, can boast of.
“The MDSA mini-stadium here is similar to the one at Mairang, but here there is nothing (no gallery),” Nongrem said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Education Secretary of the KSU Central Body, Kynpham Kharlyngdoh, said that the Union will keep on following up and monitoring the work to make sure that the contractor can complete it on time.
“We will monitor the work for the laying of artificial turf and we will also dig up on the mini-stadium sanctioned by the government in 1990s to find out the truth of what went wrong with the money,” Kharlyngdoh said.
