Government to Take Back Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium

• 18 May 2023

Why in News?

On May 16, 2023, Uttarakhand's Sports Minister Rekha Arya said that after giving the state's first Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on lease for 30 years, the government will now take it back. The department has got in-principle consent from the government for this.

Key Points

• According to department officials, the company did not fulfil the prescribed service conditions. This is the reason why the stadium is being taken back.
• According to Jitendra Sonkar, director of the sports department, this stadium was constructed in the year 2016-17 at a cost of about Rs 253 crore. It is the first international stadium in the state, which was leased to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Company with certain conditions.
• It is known that this company is the country's leading infrastructure development and finance company. The public sector company has 40 subsidiaries, but after taking the International Stadium on the lease, the company went bankrupt and did not fulfil the service conditions.
• An account was to be opened on behalf of the company, in which the amount deposited could not be withdrawn without consent, but the account was not opened. The company was given 2.8 acres of land in the stadium complex for the development of sports infrastructure, but it was also not completed. Apart from this, an ice skating rink was to be operated at Maharana Pratap Sports College, but it was also not started.
• This stadium built at a cost of crores was not being used properly due to non-fulfilment of the service conditions for this stadium given on seven and a half percent gross revenue. This is the reason that in the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, approval has been given to take back the stadium and bring its proposal to the cabinet.
• It is noteworthy that the Afghanistan Cricket Board adopted the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun as the home ground in the year 2018. During that time many T20 International matches took place here. Apart from this, the Cricket Association of Uttarakhand had also chosen the stadium as the home ground.
• After taking back the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, it will be given in PPP mode. The transaction with the concerned company will be brought into the cabinet.