Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 11 (HBTV): The Uttar Pradesh government and Indian Oil Corporation Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of an international cricket stadium in Gorakhpur, officials said.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who said the project has received financial support from major oil marketing companies to facilitate the construction of the Gorakhpur International Cricket Stadium.
The stadium project, estimated to cost INR 339 crore, will have a seating capacity of 30,000 and will include modern facilities such as cricket pitches, practice areas, floodlights, and advanced sports infrastructure.
‘An international cricket stadium is under construction in Varanasi with the help of BCCI and we are trying to complete its construction work by mid-June this year. Similarly, work is underway to build an international stadium in Gorakhpur. Indian Oil Corporation contributed INR 60 crore, Bharat Petroleum Corporation contributed INR 30 crore and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation contributed INR 10 crore. All of them contributed to it, and the work of construction of the international cricket stadium in Gorakhpur has started with a total cost of INR 339 crore,’ Adityanath said.
The Chief Minister said the stadium is expected to boost sports tourism, attract investment, and support economic growth in eastern Uttar Pradesh, while also providing opportunities for local sporting talent.
Earlier, during the ongoing Assembly budget session in Lucknow, Adityanath said the state has transitioned from a revenue deficit to a revenue surplus over the past nine years.
‘In the last nine years, Uttar Pradesh has embarked on a journey. The nation and the world acknowledge that change has come to Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately, governments pursuing narrow agendas had compromised the state’s future and its people and turned it into a bastion of anarchy, chaos and crime,’ he said.
‘Thanks to the clear policies, intentions and commitment to good governance of the double-engine government, we have transformed Uttar Pradesh from a bottleneck to a breakthrough in the country’s economy. Uttar Pradesh has now moved from a revenue deficit to a revenue surplus,’ the Chief Minister added.
Adityanath also said the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards crime has strengthened law and order and contributed to the growth of religious tourism.
‘A zero-tolerance culture has given Uttar Pradesh a new identity. The festival and temple economy is growing in the state. Over 21 crore devotees took a holy dip in the Triveni River during the Magh Mela. Since 2017, there have been no communal riots in Uttar Pradesh,’ he said.
(ANI)