With former Karnataka Ranji player and ex-Congress MLC Prakash Rathod beside him, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tries his hand at batting during the bhoomi puja for a world-class cricket stadium at P Gollahalli in Tumakuru taluk on Monday. Ministers G Parameshwara and K N Rajanna and MLC K Govindaraju are also seen.
Credit: DH Photo
Tumakuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday laid the foundation stone for a world-class cricket stadium to be built by the Karnataka State Cricket Association at a cost of Rs 150 crore at P Gollahalli in Tumakuru taluk.
The stadium will come up on 50 acres of land, allotted by the state government to Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), in about two years.
The chief minister handed over the land allotment letter to KSCA president Raghuram Bhat.
“We have allocated 50 acres of land to the KSCA for building an international cricket stadium. This initiative will contribute to the region’s economic growth and overall development,” Siddaramaiah said.
“One such stadium will come up in Mysuru. The state government will soon identify the land and hand it over to the KSCA,” Siddaramaiah said.
District Minister G Parameshwara thanked the BCCI for building an international-standard cricket stadium in Tumakuru.
“The foundation stone has been laid for the decades-old dream of a world-class cricket stadium and the training facility in Tumakuru. I am confident that the KSCA will complete the work in two years,” Parameshwara said.
The minister said CM Siddaramaiah has made necessary allocation in the budget for transforming the Vasanthanarasapura into Asia’s biggest industrial area. A Japanese township on 500 acres will come up in Vasanthanarasapura, he added.
He urged the chief minister to sanction the second international airport to Tumakuru district. “Tumakuru is strategically located. People of as many as 24 districts travel through the district. Also, its proximity to Bengaluru can decongest the burgeoning state capital,” he said.