The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : New roofing system at Uppal stadium a relief for fans

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Tuesday, Jan 11, 2011
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

New roofing system at Uppal stadium a relief for fans

V.V. Subrahmanyam

HCA Executive Committee to take final decision on tenders soon

Four firms are in the fray with the highest bid being Rs.80 crore and the lowest Rs.25 crore
North and south blocks at the pavilion end and far-end will be ready for IPL in April, says official

HYDERABAD: For cricket fans keen to line up for the Indian Premier League this summer at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal), the good news is Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has formally begun the process of putting in place the roofing system at the venue. This effectively means, the fans need not watch the action in scorching sun anymore.

With the tender process completed on Monday wherein four firms are in the bidding fray, with the highest bid being about Rs.80 crore and the lowest about Rs.25 crore, the Executive Committee of HCA will meet next week to take the final decision.

“Yes, the tenders were called for and all the interested firms have given us a power point presentation about their experience and other related subjects. Once the Executive Committee takes the final decision, the roofing, at least the north and south blocks at the pavilion end and the far-end will be ready for the IPL this April,” says a senior HCA official.

“Then, the focus will shift to the bigger and more important western and the eastern galleries where about 30,000 spectators normally watch the match on a full day,” the official said.

“The EC will also decide whether to go in for phased roofing system or at one stretch depending on the budget available,” he added.

Cost sharing

As per the BCCI norms, for any development work, the host association will have to spend 50 per cent of the cost and the rest will be taken care of by the Board.

“This was the same case when the turnstile system costing about Rs. 2 crore (security apparatus to screen spectators at all the entrances) was installed for the recent India-New Zealand Test,” the official said.

“Though we are not sure how much the BCCI will give as grant for this roofing system, we have to complete this work as per its own strict guidelines,” the senior official said.

Assurance

The firms have also given an assurance that the roofing will in no way affect the light condition on the ground during the playing hours.

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