FMDA begins process to renovate Nahar Singh Cricket Stadium with Rs 292 cr funding

The Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA) has initiated the process of inviting tenders for the renovation of the Nahar Singh International Cricket Stadium, following the approval of Rs 292 crore funds. The project, which was previously handled by the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF), was transferred to FMDA in February this year. To date, the project has consumed Rs 74 crore of the budget.

In June, FMDA submitted a fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the half-completed project, which has now been approved. Sources within the agency confirmed the process of preparing the detailed notification for inviting tenders (DNIT) was underway. Tenders are expected to be issued once the formalities — including estimates and technical analysis — are completed. An official stated the tenders would be released after receiving formal approval from the High Purchase Work Committee (HPWC), which is chaired by the Chief Minister. Any project with a tender value of Rs 10 crore or more requires approval from the HPWC. Work is expected to begin on-site in January next year. Following the revised DPR, the total cost of the project is projected to rise to Rs 366 crore.

The project was handed over to FMDA after progress stalled two years ago due to problems such as delayed payments and disagreements over the design and layout. Initially launched in 2019 with a budget of Rs 115 crore, only about 60 per cent of the work was completed by the time the project was transferred, with Rs 74 crore already spent. While the civic body had requested an additional Rs 100 crore, the state government decided to assign the project to FMDA, which was set up to manage major development works.

The first phase of the project, managed by MCF, included expanding the stadium's seating capacity to 40,000. However, additional funds were sought for constructing the main pavilion, which was not part of the original plan. Disputes over this issue led to a halt in work. The revised DPR includes significant changes, such as expanding the coverage area to 28 acres and adding facilities for a cycle track, football stadium, volleyball, tennis, basketball and badminton courts, as well as an international-level synthetic track for athletes.

Opened in 1987, the stadium has hosted eight One Day Internationals and over 50 domestic matches. However, it has not held an international match since March 31, 2006.

The FMDA Executive Engineer, Vinay Dhull, said the department is proceeding according to the new DPR and tenders would be issued as per the standard procedures.