Home secretary holds video conference with states on IPL

New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) The Indian Home Ministry Friday
held a video conference with senior officials of the states
where Indian Premier League (IPL) matches are scheduled to be
played next month following their demand for central forces to
host the cricketing tournament.

Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta held consultations
with seven states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal during which he was
apprised of the security problems for hosting the mega-event.

The states are understood to have again told the Home
Ministry during the 90-minute video conference that it was not
possible to hold the Twenty20 matches without additional
security personnel from the central grid.

Barring Tamil Nadu, all other states have agreed to host
the matches with a rider that at least five to six companies
(500-600 personnel) of para-military forces are kept at the
disposal of the state police for security related issues,
the sources said. Tamil Nadu has outrightly rejected the
proposal to host the matches in the state.

After eliciting the view of the states, Gupta held a
meeting with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram who will take
a final call on the tournament beginning on April 10.

Concerned over availability of paramilitary forces in
view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Home Ministry
had sent a revised schedule to the states concerned on March
seven avoiding the polling dates. PTI SMI
DEP
NNNN