KOCHI : Kerala Blasters FC have sought state government intervention to reduce the rent for Kochi’s Kaloor International Stadium, with Minister K.M. Shaji asking the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) to examine possible concessions ahead of the club’s upcoming Indian Super League matches.

Shaji has written to the authority seeking its views on the stadium’s lease terms and the scope for lowering the proposed rent. The move follows a meeting with club representatives in Thiruvananthapuram, where they formally requested a reduction.

The previous GCDA executive committee had fixed the daily stadium rent at ₹9.25 lakh, excluding applicable taxes, along with a security deposit of ₹1 crore. The club approached the government seeking relief from those terms.

A response from the authority is awaited, with the Blasters hoping an agreement will allow ticket sales to begin for their home fixtures. Their first home match of the season is scheduled for the 25th.

Legislator T.J. Vinod has also urged the minister to intervene.

The matter is complicated by a leadership vacancy at the development authority. According to the report, the GCDA executive committee has the power to grant concessions of up to ₹1 lakh, but the previous committee and its chairman were removed following the change in government.

The state government must appoint a new chairman and reconstitute the committee, a process that has faced delays.