Residents of Dhanbad will get a new stadium in Golf Ground, equipped with a gymnasium, roller-skating zone, children’s playing arena, meditation centre and yoga centre, scheduled for October this year.

Construction work is in progress as part of a Rs 5.60 crore project by the Dhanbad Municipal
Corporation.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Monday, contractor for the DMC project Shamsher Singh said that half of the work has almost been completed, though progress has been relatively slower during the monsoon.

“The soil gets muddy and is not ready, but we have targeted to to complete the work with 45 days after the end of monsoon,” said Singh.

“We may have to stop work for a short period of time during Durga Puja due to the unavailability of labourers,” he said, adding that the equipment for the children’s playing arena, the gymnasium and
roller-staking zones etc has already arrived, and will be installed once the work on the ground is complete.

“We will be installing swings and see-saws besides some seating arrangements,” he said.

Construction work at the grounds began during the last year as part of a dream project of outgoing Dhanbad Mayor Chadrashekhar Agarwal.

Work was suspended during the coronavirus induced nationwide lockdown period in March, April, May and began after the relaxation provided the central government to resume the development work in urban areas.

The DMC in June 2019 prepared a detailed project report worth Rs 9.72 crore for the developement of the stadium but later revised the plan and divided the development plan of the ground into two phases.

The stadium, which was earlier used as a golf course in pre-Independence times, and a shooting range later in the sixties, will be situated less than 500 meters away from the residence of Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police.

The area is set to witness the development of a host of other facilities including a football and basketball stadium and lawn tennis courts during the second phase.

After shooting practice stopped during the end of the 70s due to increased population in the vicinity, and ground was used for morning walkers and for organizing local football matches during the 80s.

In 1991, the park was rechristened Randhir Prasad Verma stadium.

The Dhanbad Football Association organized several local football tournaments in the grounds periodically, including the Randhir Prasad Verma Memorial Football Tournament, but due to the land’s unevenness, it could not be used as a full-fledged football ground.

The ground was thus being managed by the district administration and houses the office of Dhanbad Cricket Association on rented arrangement.

It was also used for organizing fairs like Disneyland and for political meetings etc. besides morning walks.