CM Siddaramaiah lays foundation stone for cricket stadium at Anekal

Bengaluru: Amidst opposition, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the new cricket stadium to be constructed at Suryanagar in Anekal. 

Siddaramaiah opined that the stadium will aid the comprehensive development of the region by generating employment opportunities, attracting tourists, and in turn fuelling the economic
growth. 

“The stadium in Gujarat has a seating capacity of 90,000. Now, the new stadium we are constructing here will have 80,000 seating capacity and will be the second biggest stadium in the country. This will provide employment opportunities for the people around and aid the economic growth of the surrounding areas,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that this was the government’s gift for Bengaluru citizens 

D K Suresh, former Bangalore Rural MP, said that an international stadium should be constructed at all the four corners of
Bengaluru.

Farmers from around the area had earlier opposed the construction of the stadium stating that it would harm the Bannerghatta eco sensitive zone. Such a construction violates the recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC), they had said.

The first phase of the project is estimated to cost Rs 900 crore and is expected to be completed in the next three years.

Noting that the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) had taken up the construction at its own cost, Siddaramaiah said that KHB moving beyond construction of houses was a move in the right
direction.

Siddaramaiah also laid the foundation stone for Surya Divine and Surya Shine, two other projects by the Karnataka Housing Board and launched the ‘Namma Mane’ campaign.  “KHB is helping many get a roof over their heads. Given that the price of land is increasing by the day, the KHB projects are helping the middle-class and the poor own a house at a lower price,” he said.

KHB is expected to generate close to Rs 20,000 crore from selling vacant sites. 

Taking a fresh guard Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shows his batting skills on the sidelines of laying for new stadium at Anekal on Saturday.