CSCS Receives INR 4.5 Crore Power Bill After IND-AUS 4th T20I

image-lpntr2cgRaipur hosted its maiden T20I when India played Australia (Twitter)

Electricity dues worth INR 1.4 crores piled on against the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) on top of the previously unpaid bills worth INR 3.1 crores following the India-Australia T20I played in Raipur on Friday (December 1). 

Dues against Chhattisgarh Cricket jumped close to INR 4.5 crore after the state association was forced to deploy generators and power backups to ensure the smooth conduct of the penultimate T20I of the five-match series and Raipur's maiden international fixture in the shortest format. 

Being a rare host to IPL and international matches, Raipur's giant stadium hasn't always been a beneficial sight for CSCS, which has to look after the ground and ensure state-of-the-art facilities for the senior Ranji side of Chhattisgarh as well as to organise all of their other cricketing activities for grassroots, U-16, U-19 set-ups.

Apart from the on-ground sponsorship, CSCS' major source of earnings is BCCI's annual payouts, which are handed over equally to all state associations at the end of every financial year. In such circumstances, the state association was left carrying an alarming electricity bill on their heads before the India-Australia clash.

The city's electricity board had "snapped" the ground's power and electricity five years ago, reported the Times of India (TOI) in a shocking revelation due to the unpaid sum of INR 3.1 crore.

Now it is understood that a further 1.4 crores have piled on in their expenditures following the sustained usage of generators and power backups to undergo the India versus Australia game.

Notably, there was no electricity available at the venue in the build-up to the match, and the organisers had to avail loads of generators to ensure floodlights for pre and in-match services, including training for both teams, media and broadcasting services, and uninterrupted conduct of the match.

Question marks are being raised on CSCS in the matter bringing embarrassment to the city of Raipur. Why were the electricity bills not paid to the necessary authorities in time despite BCCI's hefty payouts as one of the state associations under the Indian Board's umbrella?