The Jharkhand State Cricket Association, affiliated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has signed a lease agreement with Bokaro Steel Plant on Friday for the construction of an international cricket stadium.

BSL is a unit of Steel Authority of India Limited, and the first city of Maharatna to house an international cricket stadium. The JSCA claimed Jharkhand will become the first state in the country to have three world-class stadiums.

The proposed land is located in the erstwhile Mouza-Narkara in the south of National Highway (NH)-23 and south-west of the existing Vishthapit College in Balidih area. The spot is on the route between Bokaro-Ramgarh and Ranchi. It is near neighbouring Giridih, Dhanbad and Purulia (West Bengal) districts.

“The agreement entails transfer of 20.17 acres of land by SAIL-BSL to JSCA at Bokaro on long term lease initially for a period of 33 years, with the provision of further renewals as per SAIL Board approved Guidelines and other necessary approvals,” said Manikant Dhan, BSL, spokesperson .

The lease agreement between SAIL-BSL and JSCA was signed in the presence of Director In-charge BSL, Amarendu Prakash, former secretary of BCCI and former director of ICC Shri Amitabh Choudhary, president of JSCA, Dr Nafis Akhtar, secretary of JSCA, Sanjay Sahay and others.

Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan, who had played an important role in negotiating the project, was also present at the occasion organised at Bokaro Niwas, along with executive directors of SAIL-BSL and officials of JSCA. BSL management has received the request for allotment of land to JSCA for the construction of an International Cricket Stadium in Bokaro in January 2018.

Dhan said, “The proposal was put up for approval by the SAIL Board and the Ministry of Steel. After obtaining necessary approvals and clearances, all other formalities prior to signing of lease agreement were completed by both parties.”

Director in-charge termed it as a proud moment for all. Prakash said, “The proposed international cricket stadium at Bokaro will facilitate grooming of local cricketing talents.”

Responding to questions, Choudhary said, “Proposed international cricket stadium at Bokaro will be state of the art in terms of facilities and will have a seating capacity of around 25,000 people. Further activities for the construction of the stadium at Bokaro will now be taken up by JSCA”.

The proposed cricket stadium in terms of size will be lesser than Ranchi, which has a 40,000 seating capacity. Chaudhary said, “But the stadium to be constructed in Bokaro will be larger than other international cricket stadiums in the nation and abroad. It will be larger than Lords and Rajkot international cricket stadium.”