26 new Stadiums coming up in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Dec 2: Twenty six new stadiums are coming up in various parts of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here on Monday.

Addressing the annual prize giving function of the state government, Banerjee announced that plots will be given to the Cricket Association of Bengal for building a cricket stadium, and to Atletico de Kolkata for setting up a football academy.

“Twenty six new stadiums are coming up in various parts of the state,” she said after felicitating sportspersons at the Khel Ratna Samman ceremony. Banerjee asked the CAB to set up a second cricket stadium at Rajarhat in the city’s north eastern fringes.

“I’ll give you (CAB) land. You build a stadium. For our state, one stadium (Eden Gardens) is not enough. With another stadium we’lll be able to host more cricket events,” she said.

The chief minister said the government would allot some land to the ATK as the Indian Super League franchise wants to set up a football academy to groom talents in the state.

“Bengal will move ahead in the field of sports, this is my firm belief, once all the stadiums and infrastructure is in place.” The government also planned to set up a 20,000 crowd capacity new indoor stadium at Rajarhat. Stressing the need for a sports school, she said an expert committee was being formed on the issue.

Banerjee said the government has set up an international standard sports village in northern Bengal’s Jalpaiguri and urged the corporate sector to help in runningit under PPP mode.

She announced that around 6,000 clubs, which received a grant of Rs.2 lakh earlier, will get a additional amounts of Rs.1 lakh for the next three years. (IANS)