Proposal to turn Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium into Convention Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Emerging Kerala meeting to be held in Kochi from September 12 - 14 is showcasing a proposal to convert the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium into a convention centre. The project is estimated to cost Rs 8 crore and construction would be done in public-private partnership model.

Around 40,000 sq ft of the stadium would be given on lease for Rs 1 crore per annum for 15 years, with a blanket moratorium on payment of lease amount for five years after completion of the project.
An official of the industrial department said the reason for converting the stadium is that not many sporting activities happen here now. A big leap would be witnessed in the state’s business and tourism sectors if the stadium where only sponsored mega events are held is made into a convention centre.

The stadium which has not hosted any major sport events is a major venue for the National Games to be held in 2013. Synthetic tracks estimated at Rs 4 crores are being laid in the stadium for it. State sports secretary M Shivashankar, denied this and said the department has not even considered the proposal to convert the stadium.

The stadium is built in 1956 in the name of the first Inspector General of Kerala Police N Chandrasekharan Nair. The Kerala police service welfare society, under whose name the stadium is registered according to the Charitable Act, has no clue on the impending plan to lease out the stadium.