BCCI Assures Bombay HC Of Payment For Police Protection During Matches

Mumbai: The BCCI has told the Bombay High Court that it will pay the outstanding dues to the police for security during cricket matches. They owe a total of about Rs 6 crore to the police in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pimpri Chinchwad.

This promise came after a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by RTI activist Anil Galgali. He challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision to lower the police protection rates for IPL and other matches, which dates back to 2011. He argued that this would affect the pending payments.

In their affidavit, the BCCI committed to paying the owed amounts within two weeks. They emphasized that they have no intention of shortchanging the police and will settle any disputed amounts within 90 days after reconciling accounts.

The BCCI clarified that they are only responsible for payments related to key matches like qualifiers and finals. They also mentioned that the decision on police charges is a policy matter and that the adequacy of police presence is up to the police themselves.

Interestingly, the BCCI pointed out that the charges in Maharashtra are higher compared to other states, which led to a recent circular aimed at rationalizing these costs.

The case is set for a hearing on February 11, with the Chief Justice and another judge overseeing the matter.

By the way, here are the capacities of some major stadiums in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai:

Wankhede Stadium: 33,108 seats.

Brabourne Stadium: 17,000 seats.

DY Patil Stadium: 27,000 seats.

And just for comparison, here are some charges from other cities:

Hyderabad: 39,200 seats for Rs 21 lakh.

Jaipur: 23,185 seats for Rs 20 lakhs.

Mohali: 40,000 seats for Rs 20 lakhs.

Dharmshala: 25,000 seats for Rs 15 lakhs.

Delhi: 55,200 seats for Rs 11 lakhs.

Kolkata: 80,000 seats for Rs 12.50 lakhs.

Ahmedabad: 1,32,000 seats for Rs 47 lakhs (average of last three years).