The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) on Sunday decided to go cashless for the ensuing India Vs England ODI on January 19 at the Barabati Stadium here.
Following a meeting of the OCA council, OCA secretary Asirbad Behera said all payments of the OCA above Rs 500 against bills from different parties during the ODI would be made through bank cheques, drafts and RTGS.
Regarding sale of tickets, Behera said, “Spectators can get two tickets each for the stadium gallery to watch the ODI by paying cash up to `2,000. But high-valued tickets will be sold after payment is made through swipe machine, RTGS or bank drafts.”
Besides, ticket purchase can be done through e-wallet payment.
Out of the three counters of the stadium, Counters-2 and 3 would be selling gallery tickets, he said.
At the same time, the OCA-affiliated agencies would collect tickets after submitting bank cheques or drafts to the State Bank of India (SBI) counter to be set up at the OCA conference hall, Behera informed.
He said, “This cashless thing will help a lot at the time when there is a scarcity of cash in the market following the demonetisation. Our decision is also a step in the direction towards implementing the cashless plans of the Prime Minister.”
The OCA also decided to sell 25 per cent of total tickets through online platforms. During the last match, the OCA had allocated 10 per cent of total tickets for online sale. A total of 42,000 tickets for the forthcoming India Vs England ODI will be available for spectators to buy, he added.
Behera informed that online sale of tickets for ODI would be on January 2 while the OCA-affiliated agencies would sell tickets on January 14 and 15. Tickets at the counters of the stadium would be available on January 16 and 17.
Regarding security measures, he said 132 CCTV cameras would be set up in and out of the stadium.
The ODI has been insured for a sum of `21 crore, Behera further stated.