Bhubaneswar: Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi on Saturday directed officials to complete all infrastructure development of Kalinga Stadium by May 31.

The stadium will host the Men's Hockey World Cup from November 28 to December 16 and will see 16 countries take part.

It was also decided that adequate measures would be taken to ensure fire safety and provide healthy food in the hotels where players and team officials would put up.

Padhi issued the directive while presiding over the fourth executive committee meeting of the event. Presenting updates about the preparation, sports and youth services department secretary Vishal Kumar Dev said the construction, expansion and renovation work at the stadium were on in full swing according to the schedule.

Dev said the construction of the swimming complex inside the stadium has been completed with a few finishing touches left.

The construction of new galleries and expansion of existing ones to increase the seating capacity have also been expedited.

The government has already set a deadline of June to complete re-laying the two new turfs, while water filtration plants for the pitches would be completed by the end of May.

Construction and widening of internal roads, drains, food plaza and beautification of stadium are also on schedule, the official said. Parking space would be developed on 10 acres adjacent to the stadium.

"We will issue traffic advisories well before the event so that people can make their plans. A foot overbridge near the stadium will also come up for uninterrupted traffic flow and convenience of pedestrians," the official said.

Players, coaching staff members and visitors will be accommodates in 412 hotels in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri. The government has also identified 78 rooms of PSUs, technical colleges, corporation guest houses .

On Saturday, the government said it would bring 50 standard air conditioned and 50 non-air conditioned buses as part of its city bus modernisation plan to ensure better service.

Wi-Fi coverage will be provided in all priority corridors before the world cup.

Officials said: "We will organise a festival during the world cup period. Events such as heritage walk, patha utsav, storytelling, folk art and film festivals as well as food bazaar would be organised for the visitors. All the events would reflect the culture of Odisha."