Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to sports infrastructure in urban areas, the State Government on Monday decided to construct 89 multipurpose indoor stadiums at different urban areas of Odisha with an investment of Rs 693.35 crore.
The State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved the proposal during a meeting held this evening through virtual mode.
The 89 Multi-Purpose Indoor Stadiums under Urban Sports Infrastructure Development Project at a total project cost of Rs 693.35 crore to be completed over next 18 months. This will provide a major boost for the development of sports in the State, said Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera.
These projects will be taken up in 85 urban areas including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela under the 5T Initiative to transform the Sports field in Odisha. These multi-purpose structures will be completed in 18 months, he said.
The stadiums named to be Biju Patnaik Indoor Stadium will come up at three municipal corporations (Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela), 30 municipalities and 52 NACs, he said.
The State Government will spend Rs10.15 crores for construction of each stadium at municipal corporation towns and municipalities while Rs 6.40 crore will be spent for building one such stadium in NAC. The multi-purpose indoor stadiums will foster sports development in the State.
The State Government has been focusing on development of Sports in Odisha. In recent years, the State has been recognized as a leading destination for sports events and promotion of sports, Mr.Behera said.
As per direction of the Chief Minister, the Stakeholder meetings were conducted with the people representatives and the sportspersons in all these locations and the facilities and design has been made based on these discussions.
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) areas act as main centres for the sports related activities including coaching. Urban Sports Infrastructure Development Project is proposed for ensuring provision of quality sports infrastructure across ULBs of the State, Mr.Behera further said.
These indoor stadiums are built for multi-purpose utility. The stadiums will have facilities for playing Badminton, Table Tennis, Yoga, Gymnasium, etc. The indoor hall space can be utilised for most of the indoor games and can be converted as per the local popularity of various indoor sports.
The indoor stadiums are also designed to withstand 200 kmph wind speed. The stadiums can be utilised as community shelters during disasters like cyclones, floods etc. In times of pandemics, the stadium can be converted into a 50-bed (NAC Model) or 100-bed (Municipality model) field hospital.
The Stadiums will be an asset for the ULBs which can be utilised for training, meetings, examination centres etc. With this project, the image of Odisha as an emerging Sports powerhouse will be further strengthened.
On the occasion of completion of the second year of his government’s fifth term on May 29, the Chief Minister had said, “We continue to focus on sports development in the State. More than Rs 1000 crores worth sports development projects have been taken up, including India’s largest Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.”
The State Government has estimated to invest Rs356.38 crore for development of Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium and Practice Pitch in Rourkela and expansion of Kalinga Stadium. Recently, the CM had laid the foundation stone of the stadium, where FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 will be hosted.
All the major Sports Infrastructure implementation will be carried out by a dynamic Secretary Sports and Youth Services, R Vineel Krishna, said a senior official in Department of Sports & Youth Services.
Mr.Krishna has stipulated timeline and process is on for implementation of the Urban Sports Infrastructure in a timebound manner said he.
