THE proposed mini stadium in Bhilai-3 under the BhilaiCharoda Municipal Corporation remains incomplete 27 years after the project was launched. During this period, five elected civic councils have completed their terms and two major eviction drives have been carried out to clear the land, but construction of the main stadium is yet to begin. The project began in 1998 when the then Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Bhilai-Durg, laid the foundation stone. Residents of Kundra Para settlement, whose presence was considered an obstacle to the project, were shifted to Guru Ghasidas Nagar near the World Bank Colony. However, SADA was dissolved in 1999 and BhilaiCharoda became an independent municipality, bringing the construction work to a halt. Over time, encroachments returned to the land and the settlement was re-established. The civic body later constructed commercial shops along G E Road and towards Ram Mandir and auctioned them.

 

Most of these shops are now being used for commercial activities, but the main stadium project remained stalled. In another eviction drive around four years ago, the settlement was removed and affected families were shifted to housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana at Umda.Despite the land being cleared, construction has not started even after four years. The change of Government in Chhattisgarh in 2018 raised hopes among local residents and sports enthusiasts that the project would be completed. However, the stadium remains a distant dream. Local players say the shortage of sports facilities has caused disappointment among young people. With civic elections expected in the coming months, the long-pending project has again become a matter of public concern. Nirmal Kosre, Mayor of Bhilai-Charoda Municipal Corporation, said efforts were being made to move the construction process forward. He expressed hope that residents would soon get a well-equipped stadium, providing better facilities for players and encouraging sports activities in the area.