CM’s helicopter lands in cricket stadium, players forced to keep away

On Monday, the cricket stadium at Tau Devi Lal Stadium was vacated for the landing of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s helicopter, forcing training to be halted,

On Monday, the cricket stadium at Tau Devi Lal Stadium was vacated for the landing of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s helicopter, forcing training to be halted, in an incident that coaches and players said has recurred several times over the past few months. Khattar arrived in the city to chair a meeting of the district public relations and grievances committee and attend a Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) meeting. The entry of players to the stadium was also barred for that period, officials at the site said.

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Players said this was not the first time they were locked out of the stadium. Officials of GMDA, the custodian of the stadium, said the CM’s helicopter always lands at the cricket ground in Tau Devi Lal Stadium, forcing players to stop play when that happens.

The stadium manager said that over the last two years, they have written to the administration several times requesting a helipad be built somewhere else, but there has been little progress.

Sukhbir Singh, GMDA, and manager of Tau Devi Lal Stadium, said, “I can’t say much, but we have written to the administration. Mini Secretariat and PWD Guest House are close to Tau Devi Lal Stadium so the helicopter landing in the cricket stadium is a convenient choice.”

The state government bought the 10-seater Beechcraft King Air 250 helicopter in 2018 for ₹40 crore.

With security tightened when the CM lands, players are not even allowed to enter the stadium, said Pradeep Ranga, a cricket coach at the stadium. “This happens every time the CM comes. We are forced to move out of the ground. The CM has been visiting the city regularly, so there has been a loss of training time almost every week,” said Ranga.

He, however, said that he has heard from officials that on Khattar’s advice the authorities had stopped his cavalcade from entering the stadium. “The situation has improved as the CM’s motorcade doesn’t go inside the stadium anymore. Earlier, his fleet would swamp the stadium, including backup vehicles like a fire tender and an ambulance. The fleet of cars would damage the cricket pitch, which would take two weeks to repair,” Ranga said.

Players who come to the ground said that they are never informed by authorities of the CM’s visits beforehand. A 15-year-old cricket player who trains at the stadium, said, “Over the last month,the CM’s helicopter has landed inside the stadium more than four times, and we have not been allowed to play each time.”

Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner, Gurugram, had earlier told Hindustan Times, “I haven’t got any letter from GMDA regarding their displeasure for CM’s helicopter. I will have to check if the letter has been sent earlier.” On Monday, Khatri, when asked why the CM’s helicopter has to land in the stadium, said, “There are some security concerns.”

A senior state sports department official said, “We will definitely look into this matter and get it resolved.”