200 new urban mini stadiums in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR:  The Odisha government has decided to construct 200 new urban mini stadiums in the state.  The government has also set a target to complete at least 100 stadiums by June this year.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday reviewed the status of the Sports and Youth Services Department at the State Secretariat here and directed the department to complete the construction of 100 urban mini stadiums in the first phase by June. 

“The state government has started the mini stadium scheme since 2013-14. The scheme envisaged an expenditure of Rs 25 lakh for construction of a mini stadium with a contribution of Rs 10 lakh each by the Sports and Youth Services Department and from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) funds and Rs 5 lakh from the MLALAD and MPLAD funds, “ said Secretary, Sports and Youth Services, Saswat Mishra.

As there was uncertainty in getting NREGS funds at the outset, the mode of allocation has been revised under which the Sports and Youth Services Department will contribute Rs 20 lakh while the remaining Rs 5 lakh would be sourced from the MLALAD and MPLAD funds. Out of the 200 mini stadiums sanctioned by the department, the chief minister has directed to complete 100 mini stadiums by June this year, he added.

“It was decided to complete the construction work of 49 mini stadiums by 2013-14. But due to delay in the availability of funds under Centrally sponsored schemes like the NREGS, Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) and Integrated Action Plan (IAP), the project work was delayed,” said  Sports and Youth Services Minister Sudam Marandi.

“Despite the delay, four mini stadiums have been completed, and 34 stadiums are nearing completion while work on the remaining 11 mini stadiums is yet to begin. In 2015-16, we have sanctioned 94 projects of which work on 26 mini stadiums has started,” he said.