SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has said no proposal is currently under consideration to establish an international sports stadium in Pampore or upgrade Iqbal Sports Stadium, Pampore, to international standards.
The Youth Services and Sports Department gave the information in response to a starred question, D No. 1/6/204, tabled by Pampore MLA Hasnain Masoodi regarding sports infrastructure in the constituency and allocations for sports-ground maintenance and upgradation in Pulwama and Shopian districts.
The government said Pampore constituency has six sports stadiums, sports grounds or playfields located at Main Pampore, Kadlabal, Lelhar, Khrew, Tanchibagh, Parigam and Larev.
On allocations for maintenance and upgradation of sports grounds in Pulwama and Shopian during the financial year 2025-26, the department said the constituency-wise details had been provided in Annexures A and B of the reply.
According to Annexure A, works undertaken by the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports in Pulwama during 2025-26 included installation of a 63 KVA transformer at the synthetic hockey turf at BHSS Pulwama, construction of a synthetic volleyball court at HSS Rahmoo in Rajpora and development of the playfield at HSS Litter.
The transformer work was completed, while the other two works were scheduled for completion by March 2027.
In Shopian district, construction of a synthetic handball court at the YSS playfield in Shirmal was completed. Another project for development of a playfield at Rai Kaprin in Zainpora was cancelled after the required no-objection certificate from the Flood Control Department was not issued.
Annexure B lists works undertaken by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council in Pulwama and Shopian during the same financial year. These included development and upgradation of playfields, construction of synthetic courts and football facilities, and associated infrastructure such as dugouts, practice pitches, fencing, pavilions and seating.
Among the projects listed for Pulwama were development of the playfield at Bajwani, Tral, with two dugouts, two practice pitches, two grounds and a synthetic volleyball court, and development of the playfield at Koil Shikargah, Tral.
Several works in the district were reported as completed, while others were at different stages of execution.
The Shopian works included projects at Zainapora, Zaipora, Draggad, Hef Shiral, Khujpora, Awneera and Tilwan Wudur, covering facilities such as football and cricket fields, synthetic courts, practice pitches, dugouts, change rooms, fencing, seating tiers, pavilion blocks, gates and parking facilities.
The department said the works and their financial and physical status were detailed in the annexures accompanying the government reply.
On the proposal for an international sports stadium at Pampore, the government said that, despite the town’s connectivity with Srinagar and other parts of the country by road and rail, no such proposal was presently under consideration.
It also said there was no proposal at present to upgrade Iqbal Sports Stadium, Pampore, to international-level standards.
