Howzzat! Security will be outsourced

BANGALORE, September 26: The police department has decided to 'outsource' its staff for special security duty during the India-Australia ODI on Saturday. By doing so, the department, facing a cash crunch, will be richer as the organisers of the match will have to foot the police bill.
According to the government order, organisers of concerts, sports events, race course events, cinema halls, and sometimes even big-budget marriages in the city will have to pay for the police bandobast.
Nearly 2,000 policemen will be put on additional duty at the Chinnaswamy stadium — this will fetch Rs 5 lakh to the department. As per rules, the organiser will have to pay between Rs 265 to Rs 460 per policeman depending on the rank of the police official.
The Chinnaswamy stadium will be guarded by at least 1,600 police personnel, while around 350 traffic policemen will manage vehicular movement on the special day. For a recent rock concert which drew over 35,000 at the Palace Grounds, organisers had to pay Rs 55,000 for police security.
"The department charges according to the government order during all commercial programmes being held in the city. In the recent past, the department had earned quite a good amount by providing security during concerts and private functions.
Presently, a revised order (in 2002) is in force for charging the organiser," police officials explained.