West Bengal to lease land for National Centre of Excellence to AIFF for Re 1

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised AIFF president Praful Patel to provide the land during a programme on the eve of the FIFA U-17 World Cup final at the Salt Lake stadium.

The West Bengal cabinet on Monday decided to provide a 15 acre land in Kolkata to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on lease for Re 1 to help set up the National Centre of Excellence.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised AIFF president Praful Patel to provide the land during a programme on the eve of the FIFA U-17 World Cup final at the Salt Lake stadium.

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“The state has decided to lease out a 15 acre land in New Town to the AIFF to set up the National Centre of Excellence for football. A football stadium and a football academy would also be there,” state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said after the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet decided that the 15 acre of land will be given to the AIFF for 90 years on an exchange of Re 1 only, he said.

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Patel, on October 26, had said that as a continuing effort of the U-17 World Cup, a National Centre of Excellence for football will be set up at Rajarhat New Town here here with help from the FIFA.

The national senior men’s and women’s team as well as the age group teams will be housed in this centre, Patel had said.

The Salt Lake Stadium hosted 11 matches of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, including the final.