Bhubaneswar, April 25: Work on the city’s second multi-purpose indoor hall will begin on the premises of Kalinga Sports Complex next month under supervision of the state sports and youth services department.

Sources in the department said the hall’s foundation stone would be laid in the first or second week of May.

The hall will be built for Rs 17.35 crore with a seating capacity of 2,000. The Union ministry of youth affairs and sports had released a grant of Rs 6 crore in last September through the urban sports infrastructure scheme, while the state government provided rest of the amount.

“The public works department has been assigned to design the hall, and we have identified a patch on the premises of Kalinga Sports Complex for this purpose,” said state sports director D.V. Swamy.

A work department official said the hall would be built on 10,800 square metres, including a playing area of 2,400 square metres.

Apart from having a maple floor of international standards to host international matches, it will be equipped with clear and obstruction-free ceiling with a height of 12.5 metres.

The hall will be a mini replica of the Balewadi sports complex in Pune, which hosted the common wealth youth games in 2008.

Sources in the department said a team of officials of the sports and youth services department and the works department had visited the Balewadi sports complex last month.

Other facilities at the hall include squash courts to be made under the galleries, mini conference room for coaches and managers, dope-control chamber with separate sample collection rooms for ladies and gents and a gymnasium.

Similarly, the hall will have designated parking lots for two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Ramps will be developed to help disabled.

However, the department has proposed for retractable galleries, which are mounted on wheels. The movable galleries can be used depending on the number of spectators.

The indoor lovers of the city also feel that such halls are the need of the hour for better sports experience. “As long as you do not have quality indoor halls, the state cannot host national and international matches,” said Ajit Mohanty, a badminton player.

In another development, the hockey complex on the same premises will be inaugurated next month. Laying of synthetic turf has been over. However, a sports official said the proposed hockey academy in the Kalinga Sports Complex would be set up later.

“We are yet to decide whether the hockey academy will be set up in the public-private partnership mode or some other mean,” said a senior official.

The state government had prepared a blue print to modernise the Kalinga Sports Complex in last December. The plan included laying of synthetic turf for football, installation of new chairs and a cycle velodrome.

“This is the only stadium in the city with such sports facilities, which need to be improved, so that national-level games can be held here,” said Prasant Sahu, a sportsperson in the city.

Earlier, the East Coast Railway had started the construction of a multi-purpose indoor hall in last May.

The hall, to be built for Rs 10.2 crore, will have a seating capacity of 3,200 with a playing area of 36X24 feet.

The construction of the hall is expected to be over in September.