Srinagar: A fresh controversy has erupted over the allotment and use of Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar, with organisers of an upcoming sporting event alleging that the stadium authorities have allowed a Jammu & Kashmir Premier League (JKPL) cricket final to be held at the venue despite an existing allotment issued by the J&K Sports Council for another event.
The controversy comes soon after a change in the top administrative leadership of the J&K Sports Council, with a new Secretary recently taking charge. Against this backdrop, questions are being raised over whether officials at the stadium level are adhering to allotment orders issued by the Council’s higher authorities.
The JKPL tournament had been allotted the stadium until September 4, 2026. However, the organisers reportedly cancelled the scheduled final on the night of September 3 following a clash with another final in Pulwama.
The JKPL final was subsequently announced for September 5 at Bakshi Stadium.
The development has raised questions because, according to the organisers of another event, the stadium has already been allotted to them by the J&K Sports Council from September 5 to 14, 2026.
Dispute over September 5 allotment
The organisers of the event, identified as the Super Cup, claim that despite possessing an official allotment for Bakshi Stadium from September 5, they have not been allowed to take possession of the venue or begin preparations.
They allege that their repeated requests to the stadium management since September 3 have been turned down, while the JKPL organisers have been permitted to conduct their final at the same venue on September 5.
“Despite getting the allotment, the Bakshi Stadium manager has not been allowing us to take charge and hold our event at the stadium. Our event was scheduled from September 5 to 14, but since September 3 we have been pleading with the manager to allow us to start preparations,” the Super Cup organiser said.
The organiser further alleged that they were told the venue would not be made available to them despite the existing allotment.
“Instead, the said manager is allowing JKPL to hold its final on our allotted date without any official extension order. We have spent a lot of money on the proposed event and roadblocks have been created at every step,” the organiser alleged.
Questions over extension of JKPL allotment
At the centre of the controversy is whether the JKPL organisers have received any formal extension of the stadium allotment beyond September 4.
According to the Super Cup organisers, no such extension order has been shown to them. If the existing JKPL allotment ended on September 4 and another event was allotted the stadium from September 5, they have questioned the basis on which the JKPL final is being permitted at the venue.
The dispute has therefore raised questions over the authority of the stadium management to alter or override an allotment issued by the Sports Council’s administrative authorities.
Allegations of outside interference
Sources familiar with the matter have also alleged that the stadium management is facing pressure from outside the Sports Council.
Sources claimed that a political party allegedly sought September 5 for the JKPL final after another final involving the tournament was scheduled elsewhere on September 4.
According to these sources, the decision to shift the JKPL final to Bakshi Stadium on September 5 was subsequently taken despite the date allegedly not forming part of the original allotment.
These allegations, however, could not be independently verified.
The controversy has also triggered concerns about the functioning of the Sports Council’s administrative system, particularly whether officials at individual venues can take decisions that potentially conflict with allotment orders issued by higher authorities.
Government action awaited
With the dispute now becoming public, attention has shifted towards the J&K Government and J&K Sports Council to clarify the status of the September 5 allotment.
The key questions remain whether the JKPL allotment was formally extended beyond September 4, whether any written order authorised the September 5 final at Bakshi Stadium, and whether the existing allotment in favour of the Super Cup organisers has been cancelled, modified or superseded through a formal order.
The matter also raises a broader administrative question: can a venue-level official refuse an event that has been formally allotted the stadium by the competent authority while permitting another event on the same date?
A clear clarification from the Sports Council could help settle the dispute and establish which allotment order is currently valid for Bakshi Stadium.
For now, the controversy has put the spotlight on the management of one of Srinagar’s most prominent sporting venues and raised questions over transparency, accountability and adherence to official allotment orders.
