Stalin tees off plans for a golf course near Chennai’s IT corridor

From The Hindu dt 4th May 2010

Chennai:

The sports city would come up on a publicprivate-partnership model and work would start immediately. A sure-shot way to lure foreign investment is by ensuring that investors don’t get homesick, or so thinks the government. On May 03, deputy chief minister and industries minister MK Stalin informed the Assembly that a brand new golf course of international standards would be established soon.

“As the state has attracted many multinational companies, it is necessary to provide international-level facilities to increase the visibility of Tamil Nadu as a destination suitable for international investors,” Stalin said. Nationals of Japan, Korea and Singapore were working in Chennai, and golf was a popular sport among them, he said.

Stalin also said that the state-owned sports city would come up near the Rajiv Gandhi Salai (Old Mahabalipuram Road) to upgrade social infrastructure around the IT corridor. The ‘Chennai Sports City Project’ will come up on 1,500 acre of land and house multi-purpose indoor and outdoor stadiums, training schools and sports hostels.

“The sports city will have scope for various international indoor and outdoor sporting events and also a facility for sports medicine. The idea is to create world-class infrastructure for sports,” said Rajeev Ranjan, principal secretary, industries department

Both the golf course and the sports city facilities would be close to the IT corridor, Ranjan said. Stalin also announced a massive expansion plan costing Rs. 320 crore at the Chennai Trade Centre at Nandambakkam. It would get an additional five lakh sq ft of exhibition space, along with facilities like multi-level parking and food court.

The state government has also got about six to eight bids for the financial city project and the bids are set to be opened on Tuesday to identify a partner to develop the first 25 acre of the project at Sholinganallur.