Jamshedpur, April 13: Jharkhand will soon be home to the second largest stadium in the country, in terms of size, in Ranchi. The state government has already sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the construction of a stadium by upgrading the facilities at the Birsa Munda stadium in the state capital.

Secretary, sports, art, culture and youth affairs N.N. Sinha said the amount has been sanctioned by the government for upgrading the Birsa Munda stadium for both cricket and football. ?We expect that the facility to host cricket and football will be available over the next few months,? said Sinha.

According to sources in the department of sports, art, culture and youth affairs the renovated stadium will be the second largest one in the country after Eden Garden of Calcutta in terms of area. The approximate size of the stadium will be about 180 yards by 170 yards.

The stadium will also be equipped with the most modern facilities and a capacity of seating 35,000 people including 5,000 seats for VIPs, members and media.

As officials in the department pointed out, the dressing room, pavilion, VIP gallery, media box, gymnasium and dressing room would be spruced up with the most modern gizmos to ensure maximum comfort of the players and the guests.

Most significantly, the stadium, unlike most others in the country, will have its galleries covered.

Besides the stadium shall also be fitted with floodlights to enable it to organise day and night matches. Such has not been possible in Jharkhand till now as the Keenan Stadium, the solitary one in Jharkhand, does not have such a facility.

?We are talking with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which provides 50 per cent of the cost for installation of flood lights. It is expected that BCCI will provide the necessary assistance,? maintained the sources.

A senior officer of the department pointed out that according to International Cricket Council (ICC) norms a city must have a five-star hotel and an airport, competent for landing a boeing aircraft, in order to host ODIs or test matches.

?Although these facilities were not available in Jamshedpur it had the opportunity of organising one-day matches, solely buttressed by corporate houses as Tata Steel. But once we have the Birsa Munda stadium ready, our state shall also be entrusted with the responsibility of hosting test matches,? added the officials.