Batagram Tehsil Ground Project: A Decade Lost in Bureaucracy, Conflicting Reports, and Political Silence

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan – KikxNow Digital Creator

The Batagram’s Tehsil playground, which was approved under the 2013–14 ADP program for the construction of sports grounds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, could not be completed despite the funds being provided along with legal approvals and repeated official reviews. What makes this case more alarming is the dramatic shift in the government’s official stance within a single month and the persistent silence of the current KP Sports Advisor, who happens to be from the same region.

The site selected in Batagram was private land. The acquisition proceedings, as per the Land Acquisition Act, were to be started by the Deputy Commissioner of Batagram. The total land measured 36 kanals and 19 marlas, for which the government allocated more than PKR 47.5 million. The Section 4 notification was issued on January 16, 2014, followed by the issuance of Section 6 and 17 notifications. Finally, the award was announced on March 26, 2021.

These formal approvals notwithstanding, the landowners moved the courts against the acquisition. The Abbottabad Bench of the High Court had ordered the Hazara Commissioner to hear objections and decide about it. Later, the Peshawar High Court also took notice and ordered a review after listening to both the parties. These litigations kept the project hanging for years, but the official files reflect more serious issues.

A close review of two official letters - released just a month apart - reveals how the government's stance dramatically shifted:

First letter:

Described serious irregularities in the project.

Recommended a full inquiry into the responsible officials.

Highlighted procedural steps, notifications, and award details.

Took a hard, investigative tone, almost an internal audit note.

Second letter (one month later):

Described the project as being delayed owing to disputes and financial constraints.

Recommended de-notifying the site under Section 48 of the Land Revenue Act, 1894.

Shifted the emphasis from officer accountability to situational and financial challenges.

The sudden about-face raises questions: Was the project genuinely stalled by disputes and costs, or were earlier findings of mismanagement deliberately downplayed? Why did the official narrative pivot so sharply within such a short period?

The site was reviewed by a committee headed by the Hazara Commissioner on February 1, 2023, after listening to both parties. The Assistant Commissioner presented three substitute sites, but said the construction cost was exceedingly high, thus nothing had been finalized. The Directorate of Sports, after reviewing the matter, recommended de-notifying the original site and holding an inquiry into the long delay despite allotted funds.

 

Moreover, there is political significance to the project. The current KP Sports Advisor belongs to Batagram; therefore, the foremost question that arises is this: If the adviser belongs to this area, why has there been no visible push to resolve a decade-long stalled project?

The local athletes and youth continue to be deprived of a proper playground for cricket, football, and other sports. Though sufficient funds were provided, the due processes of the law were completed, and formal permissions were accorded, the project remains on paper, highlighting a disconnect between political representation and tangible action.

Over PKR 47.5 million was allocated for acquiring land.

Legal notifications and awards completed.

Ten years of inaction have deprived local youth of sports infrastructure.

Funds intended for public benefit have gone unused, raising concerns of accountability.

Accountability and Transparency Issues

The files reveal two contrasting stories in one month.

Accountability by officials seems secondary to procedural excuses.

The current KP Sports Advisor’s silence adds a political dimension to the bureaucratic delays.

These are the real victims of such stagnation: the youth and the local community.

Conclusion: A Decade of Delay, a Month of Narrative Shift

The Batagram playground project mirrors how red-tape, financial bottlenecks, and political inefficiency can hold up public welfare projects. These contradictory official stories and prolonged delays have once again raised questions of transparency, accountability, and local governance.

Till these questions are resolved, this project remains an unfilled promise more than a decade later, a funded but not activated initiative, and a study in government ineffectiveness—while the very youth it is supposed to serve continue waiting for an adequate sports ground. English Hashtags: #BatagramGround

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