The Siliguri Municipal Corporation has taken up a slew of measures to revamp the Kanchenjungha Stadium, the largest sports infrastructure in north Bengal.

The work will be done in four phases, the first of which will take place in December.

A source in the SMC has said the revamp will be the first major work in the past 10 years at the stadium, which is currently lying in a dilapidated condition.

Mayor Gautam Deb held a meeting at his office with representatives of the stadium committee. It was decided that the initial work would be to upgrade and renovate the gallery. In the final phase, the grass on the ground will be replaced.

“Work for revamping the spectators’ gallery, where the office of the Siliguri Mahakuma Krira Parishad (the subdivisional sports body) is located, will start next month. A sum of around Rs 10 crore will be spent on it,” Deb said.

The funds, he said, will be shared by the stadium committee and the state sports and youth affairs department.

The stadium is spread over seven acres in the heart of the city with a capacity of 27,000 spectators. It was once considered one of the finest sports infrastructures, especially for football, after the Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Calcutta. But for more than five years now, its condition deteriorated because of poor maintenance.

“The state sports department took over the charge of the stadium in September 2021 by issuing an ordinance. It was in April 2022 when it handed the responsibility for maintenance to the civic board. In recent years, this would be a major facelift of the stadium,” a source in the SMC said.

In the second phase, it has been decided to redevelop the main block (which is also known as FOCIN Gate) by early next year. During the process, the height of the gallery will be increased.

This block will be developed as a VIP arena with sheds, an elevator and an evacuation passage for an emergency exit. Apart from that, the infrastructure of four changing rooms for players, an underground parking facility, separate rooms for referees and match officials and a media centre will also come up.

“Redeveloping the main block of the stadium is likely to start in January next year and after its completion, the rest of the works, including changing the existing surface of the ground, will take place gradually,” the source on civic board said.