Vijayawada’s Indira Gandhi stadium set for major revamp with Rs 60 crore

Vijayawada: The Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in the city is set to undergo a major redesign, with the groundbreaking ceremony for modernisation works scheduled on Wednesday. According to Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) chairman A Ravi Naidu, the stadium will be upgraded in phases to meet international standards. He stated that Rs 19 crore has already been sanctioned by the Central govt, while the first phase of the project is estimated to cost around Rs 60 crore. The initial phase is expected to be completed within six months.Officials said the modernisation will be carried out jointly by the Centre, SAAP and the municipal corporation. The project includes improvements to sports infrastructure and facilities for players, along with upgrades to accommodate larger sporting events. Synthetic running tracks, 2 basket ball courts will be developed in the first phase. The redevelopment is part of broader efforts to strengthen sports infrastructure in the state. Authorities indicated that additional central projects are also being explored in the sports sector.Sports minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, MP Kesineni Sivanath and local MLAs are expected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. Earlier, SAAP vice chairman and managing director S Bharani, along with officials, inspected the stadium premises and reviewed arrangements ahead of the commencement of works.