The Gandhi Maidan. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

The society dedicated to look after the maintenance and security of Gandhi Maidan is planning to divide the ground into different sections to ensure better crowd management.

In its first meeting on October 14, the society discussed the present condition of Gandhi Maidan and people-friendly steps to be taken at the time of large-scale events at the ground. Among the plans discussed was breaking up the ground in sections so that people could not gather at one place, leading to difficulties at the time of dispersal.

Patna divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal headed the meeting. He briefed the participants about bylaws that have to be taken into account for the maintenance and security of the historic ground in the city.

A senior official, who was present in the meeting, told The Telegraph: “After discussing the present condition of Gandhi Maidan, the society decided to work on several issues that would be beneficial for the people. It was the society’s first meeting.”

District magistrate Abhay Kumar Singh, Patna municipal commissioner Kuldip Narayan, senior superintendent of police Jitender Rana and engineer-in-chief of the building construction department Rajendra Prasad Choudhary were present at the meeting.

Crowd management has been the main point on which the government has been criticised following the Dussehra stampede. Even former chief minister Nitish Kumar said the government had failed to do anything as far as managing the crowd at Gandhi Maidan was concerned.

A two-member inquiry committee is probing the stampede in which 33 people lost their lives. Statements of eyewitnesses, including then district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma and senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj, have been recorded before principal home secretary Amir Subhani and additional director-general of police (headquarters) Gupteshwar Pandey.

To ensure there was no repeat of such tragedies, the Gandhi Maidan society members looked at steps that would ensure better crowd management.

The official said: “The society is seriously mulling to divide the ground in different sections so that people cannot gather at one place. Later when it’s time for the crowd to disperse, it becomes very difficult to manage the rush otherwise. Instructions have been issued to the building construction department to chalk out the details and present it at the next meeting. The date has not yet been decided.”

The building construction department is the parent body responsible for the upkeep of Gandhi Maidan.

The official added: “The eight 16ft wide gates at Gandhi Maidan would be converted into 25ft ones. There would be a 6ft wide side gate each next to the eight gates. A decision has also been taken on constructing a 8ft high watchtower at every gate.” “The building construction department has been assigned the work which will be done with reinforced concrete cement. The tender will be floated in a month,” said the official.