A private organisation has approached the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority with a plea for land to set up international infrastructure for sports in Siliguri.

“A Siliguri-based private organisation approached us for land for setting up a project for sports-health, a tennis academy and performing arts. We had earlier given our land for the same project, which didn’t work out and the land was returned to us,” Sourav Chakraborty, the chairman of the SJDA, said in his office here after the development agency’s 144th board meeting on Thursday.

According to Chakraborty, it was decided at the meeting that the authority would provide the land to the private group and a resolution was passed to the effect. But the authority requires the approval of the state urban development department for the transfer of the plot.

“We will send the proposal to the urban development department for the project’s approval,” Chakraborty said.

He didn’t disclose the name of the organisation that proposed the project. However, sources said the private player had sought the same land where former Indian tennis player and coach Jaidip Mukherjee had started a tennis academy on the outskirts of the city in November 2005. The academy was set up in the foothills adjacent to an entertainment and recreation club.

“It was spread over a plot of 40 cottahs with two clay courts. In 2009, the ace tennis coach desperately tried to revive the academy and couldn’t succeeded because of lack of sponsors. After that, the land was handed back to the SJDA,” the source said.