Seating capacity at Eden Gardens to be reduced

The West Bengal Government has asked the Cricket Association of Bengal to reduce the seating capacity at the Eden Gardens for the forthcoming India-Australia Test match. The Government feels that such a step is necessary to protect the interests of the public.

The joint secretary of the CAB, Debdas Bannerjee said on Wednesday that the official capacity of the Eden Gardens is around 80,000. However, the ground usually accommodates more than a lakh during any one-day game. This includes the policemen on duty and other officials from various administrative departments. Now the number will come down.

The Government has taken such a step due to the trouble that broke out during the World Cup semifinal between India and Sri Lanka in 1996 and the inaugural match of the Asian Test Championship between India and Pakistan in 1999. On the first occasion, the match had to be abandoned. Three years later, the Test match was completed after the galleries were cleared of spectators. The Police Department and the Public Works Department of the State Government feel that on both occasions, the officials were prevented from performing their duty properly because of the sitting arrangements.

A spokesman of the Police Department said on Wednesday, "There's no other option. The space between the seats is small, the aisles are very narrow and this does not allow free movement. The Test match this time will be played when the temperature will start to rise. There is every possibility of frayed tempers. To control that, we have asked the CAB on behalf of the State Government to reduce the number of seats."

The CAB is ready to comply. Bannerjee said that sections of the gallery will be broken to allow more room to policemen as well as spectators. "Work will start from tomorrow and will be completed before the arrival of the teams at Kolkata."

Meanwhile, the CAB is planning to host a dinner with members of the Australian and the Indian teams on March 9 to raise funds for the quake affected people of Gujarat. The invitation cards for the dinner will be sold to the public at a substantial amount. The matter will come up for discussion at the Working Committee meeting of the CAB on February 16.