Protest bubbles over beer in Eden

Weeks after the organisers of the IPL carnival in Kolkata decided to allow the sale and consumption of beer on the stands of the coveted BC Roy Club House at Eden, the move is facing increasing opposition.

Miffed with the Cricket Association of Bengal’s (CAB) decision, the CAB members’ forum is contemplating legal action.

Former CAB assistant secretary Biswarup Dey, a known Jagmohan Dalmiya supporter, fired off a letter to CAB joint-secretary Amitava Banerjee today. Dey questioned the CAB’s decision to allow setting up of beer pubs, disregarding its age-old stance of strictly prohibiting the consumption of liquor at the stadium during international matches.

He recalled the 2005 incident, when the CAB had swung into action and taken disciplinary action against some members of the High Court Club who were consuming liquor at the Club House stands during a festival match.

Giving Dey the thumbs up is the CAB members’ forum, which comprises the 31,000 life, annual and associate members of the CAB.

Jyotipriya Mallick, a Trinamool legislator and general secretary of the Cricket Members’ Forum of Bengal (CMFB) said: “Installing beer pubs at the Eden Gardens is a dangerous move. It will be catastrophic. It has to be stopped. We are seriously thinking of filing a case against it.”

The members’ body has also expressed concerns over the CAB’s handling of the IPL affairs. Led by Mallick and convenor Abhijit Das, the CMFB is planning to invoke the Right to Information Act and seek the details of the financial dealings of the CAB not just for the IPL carnival, but throughout the year.

The decision was prompted by the CAB’s mishandling of the ticket-distribution impasse and was fuelled further by the Kolkata team owners Red Chillies Entertainment’s decision to sell tickets at varying prices.