IPC minister pays surprise visit to NSTCC

KARACHI: The IPC minister Dr Fahmida Mirza paid a surprise visit to Pakistan Sports Board (PSB)-owned National Sports Training and Coaching Centre (NSTCC) to review the development project at the center the other day.

The minister visited the multi-purpose boxing gymnasium, girls hostel, and the old gymnasium. The development work at the boxying gymnasium, which is 95 percent complete, has been stopped once again.

Rafiq Pirzada, acting director at the centre, briefed the IPC minister about the progress in the development work. The project began in 2005 and by 2008 it was ninety percent complete. However, the development work then stalled and the project could not be finished. The construction work had resumed late last year.

Sources said that Dr Fahmida expressed annoyance at the halt in the development work. Rafiq informed the minister that wood flooring and paint had been completed, water connections have been installed, and electric wiring has been completed.

The minister directed the coaching centre administration to improve cleanliness at the coaching centre. Surprisingly, she did not visit the tartan track, which urgently needs to be replaced as it is more than 20 years old. The NSTCC earns around Rs50 million annually by letting private schools and colleges and companies use its facilities.

According to the sources, after her visit, an important meeting of PSB high officials was conducted in Islamabad on Tuesday evening. The DG PSB presided the meeting which was continuing till the filing of this report.