Odisha CM Reviews Preparations for India-South Africa T20 Match at Barabati, Directs for Flawless Arrangements

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today chaired a high-level meeting at the Lok Seva Bhawan here to review preparations for the upcoming international T20 cricket match between India and South Africa, scheduled to be played at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, on December 9.

The Chief Minister directed officials of the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) and the state administration to ensure that all arrangements for the match are executed flawlessly. “Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the country. The nation and the world will be watching this match, so it is our responsibility to organise it perfectly while upholding Odisha’s honour,” Majhi said.

OCA secretary Sanjay Behera briefed the meeting about the preparations, including ticket sales, crowd management, uninterrupted power supply, fire safety, parking facilities, and traffic control measures.

CM directs to heighten security

Taking note of the recent explosion incident in Delhi, the Chief Minister instructed the police and Home department to maintain a foolproof security plan to ensure the safety of spectators and players. He advised heightened vigilance by security forces during the international event.

Majhi also stressed the importance of creating a dedicated green corridor for the quick evacuation of sick or injured persons, as well as ensuring smooth crowd control, ticket distribution, and emergency medical arrangements.

Additional generators for uninterrupted lighting

As discussed in the meeting, each stand at the stadium will accommodate spectators strictly within its seating capacity. For uninterrupted lighting during the match, additional generators have been deployed along with a new monitoring software system. In case of a generator failure, a backup will automatically take over to maintain a continuous power supply.

Among those present at the meeting were Chief Minister’s Advisor Prakash Mishra, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Angul MLA and OCA member Pratap Chandra Pradhan, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu, DGP Y.B. Khurania, Principal Secretary to CM Shashwat Mishra, OCA President Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, and senior officials from various departments, along with the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner and Cuttack District Collector.

The Chief Minister urged all departments to work in close coordination to ensure the smooth conduct of the high-profile cricket match.