Kalpetta: Seven months after its formal inauguration, the C K Omkaranathan Indoor Stadium at Munderi remains shut as dues of Rs.2.20 crore to the contractor has held up its commissioning and handover.

Kochi-based Lee Builds, which executed the project, has refused to hand over the facility until the state government clears its dues. Discussions with the sports department after the new government took office have failed to resolve the issue, company officials said.

The stadium can be commissioned and handed over to KITCO once the payment is made, they added.

At the inauguration on February 27, the government and the then Sports minister had assured the contractor that the outstanding amount would be paid soon. The company said it completed the final phase of construction based on that assurance.

Announced in the 2016-17 Budget, the project was funded through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The state sports department entrusted it to KITCO, a state government undertaking, which awarded the construction work to Lee Builds. The contractor is responsible for commissioning the stadium before handing it over to KITCO, a process that remains stalled over the pending payment.

Crores locked up, athletes left waiting
The delay has left a Rs.42 crore sports infrastructure project lying idle. The stadium has a gallery with seating for 5,000 people, a ticket counter, guest rooms, rooms for athletes, a VIP lounge, a fire control room and an administrative block.

At the inauguration, the then Sports minister V Abdurahiman had said the facility would host international competitions and provide athletes in the district with quality training facilities. However, with no one taking responsibility for its upkeep, the stadium and its premises have become a haunt for anti-social elements.

The delay in commissioning the facility has also dashed the hopes of athletes looking forward to training and competing there. District Sports Council officials said they had met the sports department secretary to press for the stadium to be opened and received an assurance that steps would be initiated soon. District Sports Council president K M Francis said the completed stadium should be handed over to the council at the earliest.