International Level Cricket Stadium Project in Progress in Mysore

Mysuru: Around six years after it was first considered, the proposal to build an international standard cricket stadium in Mysuru has started showing promise with authorities from Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) holding conversations with senior officials of Urban Development Department in Bengaluru on Saturday to sort out the obstacles that had kept the project pending.

In 2016, the KSCA had looked for land in Mysuru to build an international stadium and MUDA got a plot of land measuring 19.3 acres on the Outer Ring Road at Sathgalli. But the project had scarcely moved forward. Recently, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha took up the issue with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai during the latter’s visit to Mysuru during the Dasara festivities and sought his assent for allotment of the land identified by MUDA at a fair rate.

After Mr. Bommai responded positively to the solicitation, a meeting was held at Vikas Soudha in Bengaluru on Saturday to pave the way for the allotment of land to KSCA for the development of the cricket stadium. KSCA Secretary Santosh Menon and MUDA Commissioner Dinesh Kumar held talks with Urban Development Department Secretary Ajay Nagabhushan. Mr. Pratap Simha and former MUDA Chairman H.V. Rajeev were also present at the event.

A point-by-point discussion was held to sort out the obstacles and the fundamental steps to be taken for the allotment of 19 acres of land at Sathgalli for the construction of an international-level cricket stadium, said Mr. Pratap Simha in an explanation. The project had barely moved after the then KSCA Secretary Brijesh Patel sought land in Mysuru in 2016 and the MUDA had identified the plot of 19.3 acres of land in Sathgalli for the purpose.

According to sources, the project was delayed because of the rising costs of real estate in Mysuru, and the amount demanded by MUDA for the allotment of the land. The land identified for the stadium is nearby the Regional Centre of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) on the Outer Ring Road and the MUDA had proposed to allot the plot on a lease for 30 years, which was extendable on specific conditions.

The project had stayed stuck as the KSCA said it couldn’t bear the expense requested by MUDA. The Mysuru MP had sought the Chief Minister’s intervention to make the land available to KSCA at a nominal price, sources said.

Once allotted, the KSCA will take steps to construct an international standard stadium. When asked KSCA’s Mysuru Zone convenor S. Sudhakar Rai said 19.3 acres of land was enough to build an international-standard stadium, where test matches, as well as one-day, T-20, and IPL matches, can be played.

He also pointed out that the new President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Roger Binny had recently manifested interest in holding IPL matches in tier-2 cities also and mentioned Mysuru among them.