Kolkata: The state public works department (PWD) has received the green signal from Nabanna to take up repair and restoration work of Salt Lake Stadium, which was vandalised on Dec 13 during Messi's tour in the city.
Work is expected to start from Jan.
Following the incident, chief minister Mamata Banerjee formed a committee with retired Justice Asim Kumar Roy, chief secretary Manoj Pant and home secretary Nandini Chakraborty to investigate the matter. Additionally, PWD was given the task of conducting an assessment of the extent of damage sustained at the stadium for taking up a restoration drive. A report was placed before Nabanna, and top officials gave the go-ahead to take up the repair work.
Officials said that a large portion of the stadium needs to be rebuilt due to the damage incurred. According to reports, there was about Rs 4 crore damage to the stadium infrastructure. The stadium bears the scars of destruction, with broken bucket chairs and water bottles strewn across the ground. Several bucket chairs on the lowest tier of the stadium were broken and thrown onto the ground by angry spectators, and the iron grille was torn and damaged in several places as spectators surged onto the ground.
Ripped seats and shattered iron frames lay scattered over the pitch and the surrounding synthetic running track after the event, as the ground was also damaged to some extent. During the assessment, it was also noticed that the roof above the corridor that leads to the players' dressing room was also severely damaged.
Govt officials said that, given the extent of the damage, it may take some time for the stadium to be restored to what it was. "The aim would be to finish and restore the stadium at the earliest possible and to hand it back to the sports department so that sporting events can resume at the venue," said a govt official.
Along with revamp of the stadium, the state govt will also work to strengthen the standard operating procedure for organising big events. "The state govt has a specific SOP for such events, and the SOP will be improved upon receiving the report," said a govt official. Officials said that, as of now, there is no schedule for any major tournament to be organised at the stadium in the next few months.