Chief Secretary and 5T Secretary Visit Rourkela
As per the directions of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Secretary Shri Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and 5T Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri V.K. Pandian visited Rourkela to review the progress of various ongoing infrastructure projects. Their visit included inspections of the under-construction Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, the Rourkela Airport, and several other key development works. The team also included Sports and Youth Services Secretary Shri R. Vineel Krishna and IDCO Managing Director Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia.
During the visit, the team inspected the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium located in the BPUT campus. The construction work of both the main and practice stadiums has been completed. After inspecting the two synthetic turf pitches and high-mast floodlights, the required license for hosting matches has been obtained.
Notably, 20 matches of the Men’s Hockey World Cup will be hosted in Rourkela. The first match will be played on January 13 between India and Spain. Prior to that, three practice matches will be held starting from the 24th. If any shortcomings are identified during the practice matches, steps will be taken immediately to strengthen the infrastructure.
The construction work of Rourkela Airport has also been completed, and Chief Secretary Shri Mohapatra expressed hope that the necessary operational licenses will be issued soon. Under the UDAN scheme, four flight services will be available for players. Remarkably, this world-class stadium has been constructed within just one year. The Chief Secretary and 5T Secretary thanked the people of Sundargarh and Rourkela for their cooperation in making this possible.
This will be the first time that Rourkela is hosting the Hockey World Cup. Large numbers of spectators from within and outside the state are expected to visit Rourkela to witness the matches. To accommodate this, modern parking facilities are being developed around the stadium. Additionally, drinking water and sanitation facilities are being arranged inside the stadium. For spectators outside the stadium, LED screens will be installed at various locations.
During the visit, Sundargarh District Collector Dr. Parag Harshad Gavali, Rourkela Additional Collector and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr. Subhankar Mohapatra, and other senior officials from the district administration and Rourkela Municipal Corporation were present.
It is worth noting that the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup will be hosted in Odisha, with matches scheduled to be played at both the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the newly constructed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. This stadium is set to become the largest hockey stadium in India, with a seating capacity of over 20,000 spectators at a time.
