NEW DELHI: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday laid the e-foundation stone of the Arun Jaitley Memorial Sports Complex at Hiranagar, near Jammu.
Singh, who attended the function through video conference, said the sports complex would be the first of its kind in the northern region and will be among the best sports complexes' in the country.
An official spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir government said the mega-sports complex -- to be spread over 270 kanals of land at Hiranagar in Jammu region at an estimated cost of Rs. 58.23 crore -- is being undertaken under the Prime Minister's Development Package (PMDP).
The multi-crore complex will be a treasure to be cherished by sports talents in the region, Singh said.
He paid rich tributes to Jaitley, former Union finance minister who passed away last year, terming him as his mentor, philosopher, and guide.
Singh, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said a promise of having a multi-purpose sports complex in Jammu has been fulfilled with its foundation stone laid, which was a brainchild of Jaitley.
Once completed, it will be able to organize national and international sports events, he said.
The minister also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and towards the Sports Ministry for giving the go-ahead to this project despite a ban on the sanction of new projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister said the state-of-the-art multi-purpose sports complex will be completed in a time-bound manner.
The event was also attended by Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, and wife and daughter of Jaitley -- Sangeeta Jaitley and Sonali, respectively.
In his speech, Rijiju congratulated the people of Jammu, especially those of Hiranagar, for the upcoming complex and said it came into reality due to the relentless efforts of Singh, who wanted all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir.