The proposed Karnataka Sports University in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, will take longer than expected due to a delay in procuring the required land. The Sports and Youth Services Department, which started the work on a dedicated sports university earlier this year, is waiting for a clearance from the Revenue Department, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
The sports department had identified 100 acres in Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Of this, 65 acres belong to the state government, while the remaining 35 acres have to be acquired from private parties. "The 65 acres belong to the Revenue Department. We have written to them, seeking clearance. Once they clear it, it has to be placed before the cabinet for approval," sources said.
Yelahanka MLA SR Vishwanath said this is a prestigious project for the government. "It will have all the amenities for athletes, including training, college and residential facilities. Procuring land will not be an issue here as most of it belongs to the government. The remaining private land that needs to be acquired is less," he said. The issue will be brought to the notice of concerned authorities so that the project can start early. "This university will help many aspiring athletes," he added, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
A senior official from the sports department said that in most government projects, the process of acquiring land is delayed as most of it belongs to private parties. "But here, though it is government land, the Revenue Department is delaying it. Till they clear it, it cannot be placed before the cabinet. We were supposed to finish procuring the land by now, but nothing has been done. We hope that the chief minister announces it in the budget," he said.
Earlier, sports minister Narayana Gowda had said he had spoken to Central government authorities and he was expecting the Centre too to fund the project. Gowda had first announced the plan in April this year, but nothing has moved eight months down the line, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
