Land Acquisition for International Cricket Stadium Completed in Varanasi

GG News Bureau

Varanasi, 27th June. The Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement here on Monday that land acquisition for the proposed international cricket stadium in Varanasi, which is slated to be ready by the end of 2024, had been completed.

The stadium in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency would seat 30,000 people and will cost around 350 crore to build.

In September 2022, the land acquisition process was accelerated. According to the statement, the UP Cabinet sanctioned 120 crore for the purchase of land from 31 farmers.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will operate the stadium. The BCCI will be responsible for the stadium’s operation and management under a long-term leasing deal.

In exchange for the lease, the Board will also make a fixed annual contribution to the government.

“Approximately ₹ 350 crore will be spent in the construction of this stadium, which is being built on a wide campus of about 31 acres,” the statement said.

The stadium will have a seating capacity of 30,000 spectators, it added.

Additional Chief Secretary of Sports and Youth Welfare Navneet Sehgal said that the land has been handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) by the government.

Larsen & Toubro has been made its nodal agency. Currently, the finalisation of the stadium’s design is underway. Once the design and map are approved, construction will start, he said.

“UP is full of talented cricketers. Renowned players such as Suresh Raina, Kuldeep Yadav, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, fast bowler Praveen Kumar and amazing batsman and fielder Mohammad Kaif are from Uttar Pradesh. UP’s cricketers are doing well in IPL and other league matches.

“The stadium will help in honing the skills of these players along with other talented cricketers. The stadium will be yet another step to realise Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision of establishing Uttar Pradesh as a powerhouse in sports,” he said.