Says anti-drug campaigns meaningless without basic facilities like sports grounds
Sopore, Jun 25 : National Conference leader and Sopore MLA Irshad Rasool Kar said developing sports infrastructure in his constituency remains his “top priority,” asserting that providing playgrounds to the youth is not a favour but a duty, and any failure on his part would be a “betrayal of public trust.”
Addressing a sports gathering at Seer Jagir, MLA Kar made a fervent appeal to villagers to take the lead in submitting proposals for ground development, emphasising that collective effort was key to faster execution.
“Inshallah, I have full hope that all the grounds that come to me during my tenure, I will try to develop all those grounds. We have to save these things, develop them and give the children the right opportunities and facilities on the ground,” the MLA said.
However, he expressed disappointment over the lack of initiative from the grassroots level. “Unfortunately, not a single village out of the three comes forward who wants to do it through the youth sports service or sports council,” he rued.
MLA Kar cautioned that relying on conventional funding channels like CDF, UT or district capex would delay the process by at least a year, and urged villagers to route their demands through the designated sports bodies for quicker turnaround.
“If I can’t give you any grounds in my tenure, then you should be ashamed of me. But for that, you also have to take action,” he told the gathering, throwing an open challenge to the locals.
Drawing a sharp connection between sports and social welfare, the MLA said: “We talk about anti-drug campaigns, but if we can’t provide basic facilities — whether jobs or grounds — then it is a matter of deceiving people.”
MLA Kar assured that any village coming forward with a collective resolution would have their ground included in the next year’s plan. “Whatever ground you want to develop, we will develop it,” he promised, extending his best wishes to all sports lovers in the constituency.
On the occasion, MLA Wagoora-Kreeri Irfan Hafiz Lone was also present as the chief guest.
