SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 15: Former mayor and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Agrawal met with Dhanbad Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Akhilesh Mishra on Friday, requesting that the Railway Stadium be provided free of cost to the Dhanbad Cricket Association (DCA) for hosting state and national-level cricket matches.
High Rental Charges Hindering Local Cricket
Currently, the Dhanbad Rail Division charges ₹8,000 per match for use of the stadium—a cost that Agrawal and DCA officials argue is unsustainable, given the volume of matches the association hosts annually, which exceeds 450.
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Previous Waivers Cited in Support
Agrawal, who also serves as a patron of the DCA, submitted a memorandum to the DRM along with DCA General Secretary Binay Kumar Singh and Treasurer Lalit Jagnani. They highlighted that the Railways had previously provided the stadium free of cost for cricket matches. A fee of ₹5,000 per match was introduced in 2015, but was later waived upon request. However, the charges were reinstated in 2021 and raised to ₹8,000 per match, resulting in the suspension of cricket activities at the venue.
Stadium’s Sporting Legacy Highlighted
The DCA delegation pointed out that the stadium has previously hosted prestigious Ranji Trophy matches and has welcomed prominent cricketers including Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Saurabh Tiwary, Varun Aaron, and Shahbaz Nadeem.
Railway Officials Promise Consideration
During the meeting, DRM Akhilesh Mishra assured the DCA officials that a positive decision would be considered. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Md Iqbal, Divisional Rail Sports Officer Dheeraj Kumar, and other senior railway officials were also present.
Other Organisations Support Sports Without Fees
Agrawal and Singh further noted that organisations such as Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Tata Steel Jharia Colliery, and Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) currently provide their stadiums free of cost for the promotion of sports. They emphasised that if the Railway Stadium were similarly made available, the DCA would take full responsibility for pitch and ground maintenance.
Commitment to Sports Development
DRM Mishra concluded the meeting by affirming the Railway Division’s commitment to supporting sports development in the district and pledged full cooperation with the DCA.
