SHILLONG, Jan 24: Against the backdrop of criticisms that surfaced after vehicles were allowed to park at the artificial turf here recently, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh has clarified that the artificial turf at JN Sports Complex would be replaced as part of the proposed facelift for the facility.
“We are planning to replace the artificial turf with natural turf,” Lyngdoh said on Monday.
It may be recalled that parking of vehicles was allowed at the artificial turf during the 50th Statehood Day celebration on Friday.
The minister said that the people have made such remarks since they are unaware about this project, even as he recalled that Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had already laid the foundation stone for this project in December last year.
The sports minister further informed that the Meghalaya government will also upgrade the sitting galleries and the changing room for the players as part of the project. “I want to inform the people of the state that we have no plan to destroy the ground. The work for upgrading will immediately commence,” he said.
It may be mentioned that the revamp cost of the JN Sports Complex is about Rs 34.5 crore, and the facelift, set to happen after three decades, is expected to be completed by September or late October, 2022.
Notably, the present artificial turf, worth Rs 5 crore, was laid on the stadium in 2012.
For the official 50th Statehood Day function, the state government had constructed a massive stage, albeit temporarily, on the artificial turf. During the event, tyre marks could be seen strewn on different patches of the turf. Moreover, a crane was also parked on the synthetic running track.