The West Bengal government will take control of Eden Gardens from September 25 to October 15 to prepare for a Mahalaya programme scheduled at the Kolkata stadium on October 10, according to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
The state sports department informed the CAB of the arrangement by email, CAB secretary Bablu Kolay said. The government will control the stadium during the preparatory period as well as on the day of the event.
“We have received the e-mail from the state sports department. From September 25 to October 15, Eden will be under government control,” Kolay said.
The extended period is intended to allow temporary structures installed for the programme to be dismantled after the event, he said. The state government is organising the special programme on the morning of Mahalaya, which falls on October 10 this year.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the event on September 8 and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be invited. Sources cited in the report said the programme is expected to include a drone show, although further details of the event have not been announced officially.
Eden Gardens is operated by the CAB and is one of India’s principal cricket venues. The government’s temporary control of the stadium means that preparations, event arrangements and the removal of temporary installations will take place during a period extending beyond the programme itself.
The handover is scheduled to begin on September 25, more than two weeks before the Mahalaya event, and continue until October 15. The state sports department’s communication to the CAB did not specify further operational arrangements in the information available.
