SAD asks CM to stop Sidhu’s whimsical ways

Chandigarh, July 21 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to intervene and stop Local Bodies minister Navjot Sidhu from taking whimsical decisions like locking up of the ultra-modern indoor stadium constructed at Ludhiana by the previous SAD-BJP government.

In a statement here, former minister and party spokesman Maheshinder Singh Grewal in an open letter to the chief minister said it was condemnable that the indoor stadium on the Pakhowal road in Ludhiana had fallen victim to the negative approach of the Local Bodies minister who had got it locked up solely because former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had got the project speeded up and constructed after years of neglect. He said work on the stadium started in 2004 but it could not take off due to one reason or another. “It required the political will of Mr Sukhbir Badal to get it completed finally”, he added.

Stating that Sidhu’s Akali phobia knew no bounds, Mr Grewal said players were being denied access to the world class facility now simply because of the Akali hand in its construction. “The stadium has facilities for playing volleyball, basketball and badminton but these facilities are being denied to youngsters. It also has space for housing offices”.

The Akali leader said after the formation of the new government no steps had been initiated by the Local Government department, under whose jurisdiction the stadium falls, to evolve a strategy for its management and proper utilization. Urging the chief minister to intervene in the matter immediately, Mr Grewal said otherwise a beautiful facility which could aid in producing world class players, would fall victim to the petty political approach of Navjot Sidhu. He also urged the CM to ensure crores spent to construct the facility do not go waste and that players start using the same at the earliest.