Telangana: Rural playgrounds turn paddy procurement centres in Karimnagar

Since purchase centres require a spacious and clean area, officials are utilising playgrounds for paddy procurement in many places causing inconvenience to sportspersons

KARIMNAGAR: Rural playgrounds have turned into paddy purchasing centres in erstwhile Karimnagar district. Though the playgrounds were developed to encourage rural sportspersons, they are now being utilised for other purposes.

When paddy production was less, a procurement centre used to be established for two or three villages. As the production of paddy has increased, more than one PPC has to be established in every village to procure the crop. Since PPCs require a spacious and clean area, officials are utilising playgrounds for paddy procurement in many places causing inconvenience to sportspersons. With paddy stocks spread all over the ground, sportspersons are unable to use the ground.

At the same time, playgrounds have become safe zones for tipplers and other illegal activities in many villages. As all of them were developed on the outskirts of villages, people are utilizing them for other purposes.

It was to encourage sports and games in rural areas, the previous BRS government had developed playgrounds in every village across the State by spending Rs.4 lakh. Besides levelling grounds under the MGNREGS programme and arranging exercise equipment. Sports kits were also supplied to all gram panchayats.

However, except in a few areas, the playgrounds have not been utilised by sportspersons in many villages. Taking it as an advantage, the local people are utilising them for illegal activities. The responsibility of maintaining playgrounds was given to gram panchayats. Weeds and other plants have also grown in all playgrounds due to lack of maintenance. Earlier, sarpanches used to clear bushes by deploying panchayat staff. As their term is over, nobody is now bothered about playgrounds.

There were also allegations that sports kits were misused. Different sports equipment such as cricket, volleyball, gym, discus throw, tennikoit rings, skipping ropes and others were supplied. However, instead of giving kits to sportspersons, panchayat officials kept them in the gram panchayat offices. In a few villages, the kits went missing as well. Some panchayat officials allegedly took the kits home, district youth and sports development department sources said.