The upcoming India vs. Australia T20I match at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium is marred by a lingering issue: a power outage attributed to an unpaid bill dating back to 2009, amounting to INR 3.16 crore. Reports indicate that only parts of the stadium have power, facilitated by a temporary connection arranged by the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association (CSCA) specifically for the spectators’ gallery and boxes. The rest of the ground remains without electricity, necessitating the reliance on generators for floodlights during the match.
Efforts to address the situation include the CSCA Secretary’s application to upgrade the temporary connection’s capacity from 200KV to 1000KV, though work on this enhancement is yet to commence, as confirmed by Ashok Khandelwal, the Raipur Rural Circle in-charge.
This issue initially surfaced in 2018 during a half-marathon event at the stadium, exposing the prolonged non-payment of the electricity bill. Since then, only a handful of international matches have occurred at the venue, with the upcoming match marking the fourth such event.
Tarunesh Singh Parihar, the media coordinator of CSCA, acknowledges the temporary connection but remains unsure about the outstanding bill’s exact amount.
The persisting power issue underscores administrative negligence and financial mismanagement, impacting the stadium’s ability to host events efficiently. It highlights the need for urgent resolution, emphasizing responsible financial practices to ensure smooth operations and uphold the stadium’s reputation as a viable international venue.
