Permission denied for cricket match at Chinnaswamy Stadium over safety compliance: K'taka HM
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Paraemeshwara on Wednesday said that permission has been denied to host matches at the city's Chinnaswamy stadium as the KSCA, which manages it, has failed to comply with the safety and security requirements.
He advised the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to comply with the recommendations of the Justice John Michael Cunha's Commission, and said that following which the request may be considered. He asserted that the government will not take any "hasty decision" on the matter.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh on Tuesday had said that permission has been denied to hold the Vijay Hazare trophy match at the city's Chinnaswamy Stadium on December 24. The KSCA had sought permission to hold the match without allowing spectators for now.
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Matches were stopped at the Chinnaswamy stadium after a stampede had occurred outside it during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebration on June 4, in which 11 people died. The Justice Cunha commission was constituted to probe the incident.
"After Venkatesh Prasad (former cricketer) led team was elected to administer the KSCA, they met the Chief Minister and deputy CM, seeking permission to host cricket matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The cabinet after discussion authorised me as the Home Minister to take a decision," Parameshwara told reporters here.
Noting that the government had constituted the Justice Cunha commission after the stampede to probe and submit a report, he said, it has made some observations along with recommendations, and it was communicated to KSCA to comply with.
"But, it appears so far they (KSCA) have not complied with anything."
Recently when the KSCA administration met seeking permission for matches at the stadium, a meeting was held with senior officials in their presence, the minister said, adding, "I had constituted a committee headed by Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) commissioner Maheshwar Rao and consisting of police commissioner and other department officials to visit the stadium and provide feedback."
They visited the stadium on Monday.
Stating that the Committee during the visit to the stadium found that none of the recommendations were compiled to by the KSCA, the Home minister said, based on this it was decided that permission cannot be accorded to hold matches at the stadium, and the same has been communicated to the association.
"My advice to them (KSCA) is that the observations and the recommendations made by Justice Cunha commission should be complied with. We can consider their request, if they at least implement the short term recommendations and regulate things at the stadium. Everything will have to happen within the framework of law, or else where is the value for the Justice Cunha commission recommendations, which has been accepted by the cabinet," he said.
The Justice Cunha Commission had reportedly concluded in its report that the "design and structure" of the stadium were "unsuitable and unsafe" for mass gatherings.
Its reported recommendations include adequate gates for mass entry and exit, purpose-built queuing and circulation zones separated from public roads, emergency evacuation plans compliant with international safety norms, and sufficient parking.
Making it clear that no hasty decisions can be taken in this matter, Parameshwara said, KSCA has been advised to comply with the recommendations, following which the requests may be considered.
"Seventeen recommendations have been sent to them (KSCA) and the Police Commissioner has told them the important ones; they have to comply with them," he said.
KSCA spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya on Tuesday had said that the Vijay Hazare trophy matches have been shifted to the BCCI Centre of Excellence, on the outskirts of the city, near the Kempegowda International Airport.
In a statement he said that with this proactive approach and full compliance with the recommended measures, KSCA is confident that the necessary permissions for conducting Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will be granted in the near future.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
