Payroll boost for Eden Gardens ground staffs

CAB Executive Committee meeting in progress. Image Source: XtraTime

Kolkata:  Good news for the ground men of the Eden Gardens as they will now be brought under payroll, the Cricket Association of Bengal announced today.

The decision came just a day after the Eden Gardens was adjudged the best ground in the IPL 2018.

“Taking their performances into consideration, the association has approved to take them under the payroll as per the norms,” CAB joint-secretary Avishek Dalmiya told reporters after its working committee meeting.

“They will get salary as per their package. It will be more than that but definitely not less. This will also give them a lot belief. Future security is important for one and all. Everyone wants their job to be secured. The approval has been made now we will make it effective.”

It was only after the inaugural edition of the IPL, about 20 groundstaff who were then under the payroll of a private company had threatened to take some extreme step like committing suicide, something the CAB had then dismissed as impractical.

“For a long time, they had put forward a request to make them permanent. Of course, they have made us proud,” Avishek said.

The CAB will also include the groundsmen employed at its Jadavpur University Second Campus ground in Saltlake as well as the securitymen
“We can’t give exact number as of now because we don’t want anyone to be left out. Everybody should be given secured feeling in working for the association,” Avishek added.