16 Years On, Ambitious Satgarhi Khel Gaon Project Still In Limbo; Land Allotted To Village Entangled In Legal Disputes

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The sports department’s plan to create an international-level sports village at Satgarhi Sports village Bhopal, known as the Khelgaon project, remains in limbo. On Monday, the minister for sports and youth welfare Vishvas Sarang instructed officials to send a proposal to BHEL for transfer the operation of the BHEL Sports Complex to the sports department. In addition, the Nathu Barkheda Sports Complex, another ongoing project, has been under construction for some time.

However, the long-delayed Khelgaon project, first proposed in 2008, remains stalled, as the land initially allotted for it became entangled in legal disputes shortly after. The land was returned to the concerned authorities, and the sports department has now requested the landowner to reassign the land for the project.

In 2008, 172 acres were allotted for the construction of an international sports village in Bhopal. However, even after 16 years, the project has not made any progress, and the foundation has yet to be laid. At the time of signing the contract, the estimated cost of the project was around Rs 900 crores. According to the contract, the project was supposed to be completed by 2012, but not even a single brick has been placed. Initially, the project was planned to be launched as a pilot project, and contracts were awarded to multiple companies.

However, no significant development has taken place since then, according to the officials associated with the project. Despite repeated attempts by the authorities to move the project forward, legal and administrative hurdles have delayed progress, leaving the sports village dream unfulfilled. Sports Director Ravi Gupta said that as of now there is no proposal for the renewal of Khelgaon project; it is still hanging in balance.