Hayatpora locals demand construction of playground

Kupwara, Feb 28: Residents of Hayatpora in Lolab Valley of Kupwara district on Saturday urged the authorities to construct a playground in their locality, saying it would provide a much-needed platform for local youth to prove their mettle in sports and channel their talent in a positive direction.

The residents said that in the absence of a proper playground in the locality, children are deprived of opportunities to participate in sports, much to the disappointment of budding players who are keen to participate in various games.

They said that at a time when the government claims of developing infrastructure for sports to keep youth away from menace of drug abuse, and other anti-social activities, authorities were turning deaf ears to their demand.

“The government is taking concrete steps in eradicating the drug menace from society by organising different sports events but on the other side our basic demand for a playground is not getting any attention from the government," a local cricketer told Greater Kashmir.

The residents said that the area has abundant government land available which can be used for the playground. “Even we have approached concerned authorities several times and offered the land without any compensation but no concrete steps were taken so far in this regard,” the residents said.