Rajamahendravaram: Sports stadium delayed for 30 years for want of land

Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari District): The dream of building a sports stadium in Rajahmundry city is very old. It has been one of the election slogans for three decades and also an important point in political criticism.

In 1994, Rajahmundry MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary got a place in the cabinet. Butchaiah announced in his capacity as a Minister that a sports stadium would be constructed in the city at subsequent meetings.

After that, there were arguments over where to build the stadium. Butchaiah's proposal at the time to cover Kambala pond in Rajahmundry and build a stadium there was opposed by some intellectuals. They warned that closing Kambala pond, a storage tank, would pose a threat to the city during floods. With this, the alternative site proposal came to the fore. The Government Arts College ground also came under discussion.

In 1999, the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid foundation stone for the construction of a stadium at Government Arts College. However, the then Opposition Congress party leaders expressed concern in an innovative way that the structure would not go ahead.

The then Kadiam MLA Jakkampudi Rammohan Rao, Congress State leader Mohammad Jani and others planted trees at the Arts College ground where the stadium was proposed. For the next few years, the stadium issue was heard only in election promises.

The stadium issue came to the fore again in 2004 when Undavalli Arun Kumar was the MP and Jakkampudi Ramamohanarao was the Minister. This time, construction of stadium and other structures were proposed on the site of Central Jail in Rajahmundry, which was shifted to another location. However, this also did not materialise. The construction of stadium has bogged down.

Again, the topic came to fore in December 2021, when the government sanctioned Rs 125 crore to Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation for various development works. Of this, Rs 12 crore has been earmarked for a cricket stadium at Arts College. Leaders of alumni associations and various political parties were outraged. Upon learning of this, leaders of all parties expressed solidarity with Arts College alumni leaders. Arts college officials also against the construction of stadium here. They opined the space could be used for college purposes.

Under these circumstances, a committee was formed to preserve Arts College grounds, with leaders of various political parties and student unions as members.

Meanwhile, MP Bharat Ram told the media that there was no proposal for an actual stadium and that the only plan was to turn the cricket ground into a green field on Arts College grounds. Student leaders, however, criticised that allocation of Rs 12 crore indicates that it was not for greenfield.

A letter written by former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at this juncture gave a new twist. In the letter, Undavalli suggested that a stadium be built on the site of Central Jail in view of public opposition to Arts College grounds. With this, all eyes are now set on the Central Jail again.

Central Jail Superintendent S Rajarao explained that about 70 acres of land adjacent to the Central Jail was being used as an open-air jail to provide income to the inmates by selling fruits and vegetables from the orchards. 'Allocating it to other needs would cripple the welfare of prisoners.' He said there were orders banning structures within 150 meters of the Central Jail.

Mulla Madhav, a former student body leader, said the Arts College space was the only place in the city where any public event or meeting could be held. Stating that the place is suitable for accommodation and other arrangements, especially during Godavari Pushkarams, he said students will fight to stop stadium construction in this ground.