State cabinet approves 12.76 hectares for international cricket stadium in Kolhapur to provide young athletes with access to high-quality sports facilities

Kolhapur: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the allocation of 12.76 hectares of govt land at Vikaswadi in Kolhapur's Karvir taluka for the construction of an international-standard cricket stadium to accelerate the development of world-class sports infrastructure in the district and provide young athletes with access to high-quality sports facilities.CM Devendra Fadnavis chaired the meeting and the land would be handed over to the school education and sports department for free. "Once the department receives the land, it will enter into an agreement to allot it to the Kolhapur District Cricket Association (KDCA)," a local BJP member said, citing govt rules and policy.He said the land must be used strictly for the approved purpose. "Govt has clarified that no funds will be provided to KDCA through the department for the construction of the playground or the international-standard stadium," the BJP member said.Kolhapur South MLA Amal Mahadik welcomed the decision, saying, "The collective efforts for the development of Kolhapur's sports sector have succeeded. I sincerely thank Mahayuti govt. I'm glad this stadium will come up in the Kolhapur South constituency."Recalling Kolhapur's cricketing history, Mahadik said the city had last hosted an international match in the 1980s, when India played West Indies at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium. "After nearly four decades, Kolhapur will once again get the opportunity to witness international matches. The land transfer process for the proposed stadium will be completed soon. Work on the ground will begin thereafter," he said.The decision follows an earlier development from Sept 2024, when then deputy CM Ajit Pawar directed MIDC to denotify 12 hectares of its land in Vikaswadi for the stadium project. MIDC holds a total of 421 hectares in the area, and Ajit Pawar had directed it to transfer the required land to the state sports department, which was to then formalise an agreement with KDCA.