31 landowners express interest to provide land for international cricket stadium in Kochi
KOCHI: The Kerala Cricket Association’s(KCA) initiative to build an international cricket stadium in the district has received a significant boost with several landowners submitting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to provide land. According to KCA, 31 landowners have submitted EOIs to make the project a reality.
In January, KCA invited an EOI from the landowners who are ready to provide 20–30 acres of a single compact block of land within a 30 km radius of Kochi city. The KCA has also made it mandatory that the land be well-connected and has at least 15 metres of direct road access for smooth traffic on to a national or state highway. Proximity to the rail station and airport will be preferred. The KCA is planning to construct the stadium within three years, with an expected project cost of nearly Rs 250 crore.
“The response was immense. We never expected such a huge number of letters from the landowners. Though we wanted to set up a stadium within a 30 km radius of the city, we received EOIs from neighbouring districts as well,” said Jayesh George, Joint Secretary, BCCI.
He said the landowners have submitted the letter as individuals and a few as a group. “ We need to sort out the number of applications and the area where they are located. We also made some things mandatory for selecting a ground. Architects and our legal cell would sit on the proposals to finalise one. Since the hurdles of Edakochi are in front of us as a lesson, we don’t want to get into any trouble. So we need to verify each land document before taking a decision,” Jayesh added.
He added that the process to identify the proper location would take more than six months. “We need to verify and conduct a field visit before coming to a decision. We need 20–30 acres of land in a round shape to fit the stadium. It also has to meet the criteria for road access,” he said.
Meanwhile, the landowners can fix the value of the land. The KCA would agree to it if it came under their plan. However, sources within the KCA said preference would be given to the 30 acres of land that they have identified at Nedumbassery panchayat. BCCI secretary Jay Shah also visited the place and expressed satisfaction with the location.