KORAPUT: At a time when the State has bagged global attention for hosting the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, a hockey ground in Koraput is being dug up to set up a police reserve office.The 50-year-old Police Hockey Ground in the heart of the town is being dug up for the last two days by Koraput Police administration. The ground has been used by police and local sportsperson as a learning ground for various sports tournaments, said a retired national level football player Hema Rao.
Sources said the ground is the property of the local municipality but it has been under the possession of the police administration since long. Although the ground has been named as hockey ground, football and volleyball are also being played there. Locals have urged SP Kanwar Vishal Singh to stop construction of proposed reserve office on the ground.
The SP said members of intelligentsia had met him over the demand and a meeting in this regard will take place soon. “Decision to either construct or not construct the reserve office on the hockey ground will be taken after the meeting,” he added.Some senior citizens have also lamented the move. Members of the Town Sporting Club have decided to file a public interest litigation on the issue soon.