Deputy CM blames OCA for floodlight malfunction during India-England ODI

Bhubaneswar, Feb 11: Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo has distanced the energy department from any responsibility for the floodlight failure during the India-England ODI at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium, indirectly pointing fingers at the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA).

Addressing the issue, Singh Deo clarified that the stadium’s floodlights were powered by a generator rather than the regular power supply. He stated that if there had been an issue with the main power supply, the entire stadium would have experienced a blackout.

Emphasizing that the energy department had no role in the incident, he explained that the affected floodlight malfunctioned because its generator had burned out, and the generator was under the OCA’s management.

Following the disruption, which halted play for nearly 30 minutes, the state government sought an explanation from OCA secretary Sanjay Behera. The association has been asked to submit a report within 10 days, detailing the cause of the failure, identifying responsible individuals or agencies, and outlining preventive measures.

OCA previously stated that each floodlight tower had two generators. However, when the first generator failed, attempts to switch to the backup were delayed due to a parked vehicle obstructing access.