Lucknow, Jun 26 (PTI) Land acquisition has been completed for the proposed international cricket stadium in Varanasi that is expected to be ready by the end of 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement here on Monday.

The stadium in the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a seating capacity of 30,000 and will be built at a cost of nearly Rs 350 crore.

The land acquisition process got expedited in September 2022. The UP Cabinet had approved Rs 120 crore for the purchase of land from 31 farmers, the statement said.

The stadium will be operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Under a long-term lease agreement, the BCCI will assume responsibility for the stadium’s operation and management.

The Board will also contribute a fixed annual amount to the government in exchange for the lease.

“Approximately Rs 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.

Source: PTI News