03-05-2009, 02:37 PM
New Delhi, March 05: The Central Government has expressed its inability to provide adequate security cover during the two month long Indian Premier League, as the event co-incides with the XV Lok Sabha elections in the country.
The Home Ministry had asked the respective state Governments’ opinion on whether they would be able to spare enough security forces during the Twenty20 extravaganza. Most of the states are believed to have responded in negative.
The lucrative League is now likely to be postponed or even cancelled as it becomes clear that Prime Minister Office is in no mood to entertain any request of paramilitary forces deployment for the league during the entire course of General Elections.
“I am no body to ask them (IPL) to reschedule the dates, but there is no question of providing additional state security during elections and that has been conveyed to the home minister,” a top PMO official had told Zeecric.com on Wednesday.
“It’s Election Commission of India which decides the movement of forces and hence we are duty bound and it is absurd to make such demands,” remarked an official on condition of anonymity.
Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal too had said, “We will review the security for IPL after Government holds a meeting with the BCCI.”
Jaiswal’s comments come after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had requested BCCI to postpone the Indian Premiere League season –II.
Immediately after the attack itself, Chidambram had raised concerns of a possible shortage of security personnel that may occur in some centers if the two high-profile events are held simultaneously.
IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi had sought to assuage government’s concerns by agreeing to re-adjust IPL dates so as to provide a 48 hour cushion between a match-day and a polling day.
Any postponement of the IPL would result in eventual cancellation of the show piece Twenty20 event as there is no 2-month window available on the Future Tours Program (FTP) formulated by the ICC, for rest of the year.
The likely losses if IPL is postponed are
# Rs 300 cr: BCCI stands to lose from television sponsorship
# Rs 100 cr: BCCI stands to lose from on-ground sponsorship
# Rs 250 cr: Broadcasters stand to lose through ad revenues
# Rs 15-20 cr: Franchisees stand to lose from local sponsorship
# Rs 5 cr: Franchisees stand to lose per venue through losses in gate money.
The Home Ministry had asked the respective state Governments’ opinion on whether they would be able to spare enough security forces during the Twenty20 extravaganza. Most of the states are believed to have responded in negative.
The lucrative League is now likely to be postponed or even cancelled as it becomes clear that Prime Minister Office is in no mood to entertain any request of paramilitary forces deployment for the league during the entire course of General Elections.
“I am no body to ask them (IPL) to reschedule the dates, but there is no question of providing additional state security during elections and that has been conveyed to the home minister,” a top PMO official had told Zeecric.com on Wednesday.
“It’s Election Commission of India which decides the movement of forces and hence we are duty bound and it is absurd to make such demands,” remarked an official on condition of anonymity.
Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal too had said, “We will review the security for IPL after Government holds a meeting with the BCCI.”
Jaiswal’s comments come after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had requested BCCI to postpone the Indian Premiere League season –II.
Immediately after the attack itself, Chidambram had raised concerns of a possible shortage of security personnel that may occur in some centers if the two high-profile events are held simultaneously.
IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi had sought to assuage government’s concerns by agreeing to re-adjust IPL dates so as to provide a 48 hour cushion between a match-day and a polling day.
Any postponement of the IPL would result in eventual cancellation of the show piece Twenty20 event as there is no 2-month window available on the Future Tours Program (FTP) formulated by the ICC, for rest of the year.
The likely losses if IPL is postponed are
# Rs 300 cr: BCCI stands to lose from television sponsorship
# Rs 100 cr: BCCI stands to lose from on-ground sponsorship
# Rs 250 cr: Broadcasters stand to lose through ad revenues
# Rs 15-20 cr: Franchisees stand to lose from local sponsorship
# Rs 5 cr: Franchisees stand to lose per venue through losses in gate money.
