DDA identifies land to build cricket stadium, five-star hotel in Narela

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has identified 50 acres of land in Narela for developing an international cricket stadium along with a five-star hotel and a world-class medical facility, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has asked the DDA to also identify land in the area for facilities for football, hockey and other Olympic sports, they said.

In a major decision that will give a decisive push to infrastructure development here and change the landscape of Narela, DDA has identified 50 acres of land near the Urban Extension Road Project (UER-II) for the development of an international cricket stadium along with a five-star hotel and a world-class medical facility, the officials said.

"Saxena, who has been steering the project, has also directed DDA to further identify land parcels in the vicinity to develop sporting infrastructure related to football, hockey and other Olympic sports, with the view to strengthen Delhi's claims for hosting the Olympics 2036," an official said.

The lieutenant governor has also approved the proposal to float a request for proposal for the cricket stadium complex at the earliest with the condition for it to be completed within two years.

In a departure from the past practice, when DDA would sale land for such projects, it will now be an equity partner in the project on the basis of the cost of land that will be DDA's contribution to the whole enterprise. This, Saxena has underlined, would apart from ensuring stake, also ensure recurring income to the DDA, the officials stated.

Coming after the decision taken by the LG with regards to developing Narela as an education hub by giving land for development of university campuses in the area, the Narela sub-city is set for an unprecedented boom similar to that the city witnessed in east Delhi during the Commonwealth Games 2010, they said.

It may be noted that various health institutions have already started functioning in the Narela area and plots for a prison complex, court complex and freight complex have also been allotted by DDA to the agencies concerned, they added.