OCA to insure Barabati, spectators for Rs 21 crore

CUTTACK: The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) has decided to insure the ground and other properties of Barabati Stadium along with spectators (public) for Rs 21.71 crore for the India-West Indies ODI match slated to be held on December 22.

OCA secretary Sanjay Behera said, “As per the decision taken at the association’s special general meeting on Sunday, the deal will be inked accordingly with the insurance company by paying a one-time premium of Rs 14 lakh.” By insuring the match, OCA primarily aims to minimize losses in case of a washout owing to inclement weather conditions or any other calamity.

Under the Rs 21,71,70,000 insurance plan, the stadium will be insured for Rs 8 crore under the standard fire and peril policy, while the spectators and visitors will be covered under the public liability insurance of Rs 7 crore. All furniture and infrastructure of the stadium will be covered under the Rs 6,71,70,000 special contingency insurance policy. This means any loss to spectators is covered under the liability policy and they will get monetary compensation.

Behera said the special general meeting further approved for the ODI a budget of Rs 6.42 crore, of which Rs 1.5 crore has been allocated for the restoration of the floodlight system at the stadium, which was damaged by Cyclone Fani. Dev Musco Company has already undertaken the repair work of the floodlight system. The company has deputed a technical team to carry out the repair and renovation work and they are being assisted by the floodlight wing of OCA.

Cyclone Fani had caused maximum damage to the floodlights system, which constitutes of eight poles with 48 high-power lights in each. While around 50% of the lights were blown away, a sizeable number of the lights were shattered. “The floodlight system at the stadium will be operational very soon,” Behera said.

The OCA had asked BCCI for funds to carry out restoration work to make the stadium ready for the ODI. Behera said BCCI had released Rs 10 crore as interim grant. Apart from the floodlight system, Cyclone Fani had caused severe damage to the properties inside the stadium, especially the floodlight system, its state-of-the-art press box, a gallery and the digital scoreboard as it left a trail of destruction in the city on May 3.

Source: The Times of India