Asish Mehta
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 1: The Commissionerate Police has reportedly collected “astronomical sums of money” for providing security to IPL matches held at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, an RTI application has revealed.
From Rs 10 lakh for an IPL match in 2010 to Rs 88 lakh for a fixture in 2012, the fee charged by CP has been cited as “astronomical” by visiting IPL franchises that pay the money through the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA).
“Every time cricket matches are held, large-scale security arrangements are made by the police to provide security to the cricketers and VIPs and also to maintain law and order. But the common man is hardly aware of the amount of money that the CP earns for its services,” Pradeep Pradhan, who filed the RTI application, told Orissa POST.
“In order to know how much the CP makes from arranging security for cricket matches, I submitted an RTI application to the public information office (PIO) of the Commissionerate Police March 23, 2015,” Pradhan said.
According to the information furnished by the PIO, CP charged Rs 10 lakh for an IPL match held March 19, 2010, played between Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab.
For an IPL match between Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils held two days later, the CP again received `10 lakh from the franchises.
CP then took a staggering Rs 88.36 lakh for providing security during an IPL match played between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders April 22, 2012.
Similarly, for making security arrangements during an IPL match May 1, 2012, played between Deccan Chargers and Pune Warriors, CP took over Rs 30 lakh.
An amount of Rs 51 lakh was taken by CP for making security arrangements during two IPL matches, one May 7, 2014 played between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings and the other for a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab, played May 11, 2014.
The CP then charged Rs 13.50 lakh – a relatively low amount – for an IPL match played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians May 14, 2014.
The CP thus earned over Rs 2 crore from seven IPL matches held in Cuttack. The information in this regard was supplied by the DCP-cum-PIO May 8, 2015.
An OCA committee member, requesting anonymity, said it was the view of several quarters that the Commissionerate Police is charging very high sums for providing security arrangements to the IPL matches played at Barabati.
The official however said the high fees being charged by the CP was the least of OCA’s worries as ensuring top-notch security at whatever cost was its foremost priority.
Another OCA member, who too sought to remain unnamed, expressed reservations over the figures, and said the numbers might be exaggerated.
“During IPL matches, the money given to the Commissionerate Police for making security arrangements is paid by the franchise which conducts matches at Barabati Stadium. However, the OCA also gives some money on its own to the police for their lunch, breakfast, and dinner expenses,” he said.
It is learnt that the Kings XI Punjab team had expressed its displeasure, saying the fees charged by CP was too high compared to the amounts being charged by the police departments of other states. The issue of the exorbitant fees was also reported to the state government, sources said.
“The possibility of an under-the-table deal between the OCA and the Commissionerate Police cannot be ruled out. When the IPL franchise is paying, CP can quote any amount it wants. The payment is routed through the OCA, so there is a possibility of the cricket association getting a cut,” a source in the OCA said. Twin city police commissioner RP Sharma said the money charged by the CP was as per the schedule of the cricketers.
“The amount charged is according to the number of days the cricketers stay in the city. For two days, we charge less but the costs go up if they stay for more days,” Sharma said.