Home ministry to take final call on IPL tomorrow

Union home ministry will take a final call tomorrow on the security issues related to Indian Premier League as states have conveyed their willingness to host the Twenty20 cricket tournament with the help of para-military forces.

Union home ministry will take a final call on Friday on the security issues related to Indian Premier League (IPL) as states have conveyed their willingness to host the Twenty20 cricket tournament with the help of para-military forces.

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Barring Tamil Nadu, all other states have agreed to host the matches with a rider that at least five to six companies (500-600 personnel) of para-military forces are kept at the disposal of the state police for security related issues, official sources said.

Tamil Nadu has outrightly rejected the proposal to host the matches in the state.

The states had responded to the home ministry's reminder asking for their feedback on the revised IPL schedule.

A senior home ministry official said the states had expressed the view that the matches could be held peacefully only with the assistance of central security forces.

The home ministry will study the report before taking a decision on the matches with a less than a month left for the tournament to begin on April 10, the official said.

Home Minister P Chidambaram is likely to take a call on Friday after going through the response of all the states.

Concerned over availability of paramilitary forces in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the home ministry had sent a revised schedule to the states concerned on March seven avoiding the polling dates.