Lesson learnt from the October 27 blasts, the state government is going to set a protocol on how Gandhi Maidan would be used for rallies and other events in the future.

Chief secretary Ashok Kumar Sinha has convened a meeting in this regard on November 15. Patna district magistrate (DM) N. Saravana Kumar said on Monday: “An important meeting will be held on November 15. State chief secretary will chair it. They will take a final decision on the protocol vis-à-vis security and regular maintenance at Gandhi Maidan.”

At present there is virtually no one to care for the 62-acre sprawling Gandhi Maidan, even though it is a hub for several events that the city hosts. A former district magistrate, Sanjay Kumar Singh, had proposed to the state government that a system be put in place for maintenance and security at the Maidan. Though the proposal seemed to have been forgotten, the Gandhi Maidan blasts have forced the government to wake up.

Asked what would be discussed at the meeting, Kumar said: “There has to be proper security, like door-frame metal detectors at every entrance, not there at present. Why should the administration depend only on Bihar police? If we have enough funds, we can outsource the work to some private security agency. We can also install CCTV cameras inside and around the ground.”

He added: “After any function or rally, we ask the municipal corporation to clean the ground. But, they have certain constraints. We cannot just depend on them; we should have our own resources. I mean we are dependent on other departments for small things. Like, who is there to replace a defunct bulb or trim the grass? No one. We will raise all these issues at the meeting.”

Others who will attend the meeting include senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaj, Patna divisional commissioner ELSN Bala Prasad and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) commissioner Kuldip Narayan.

The DM said: “On November 15, a decision would be taken on the kind of security to be put in place on the ground. I will also raise the issue of increasing the fee for hiring the ground. At present, the district administration charges just Rs 20,000 for a rally at the Gandhi Maidan. There is a committee for the SK Memorial Hall, which maintains the venue. They charge Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 for an event. We want a similar dedicated committee for Gandhi Maidan.”

Even chief minister Nitish Kumar said a protocol would be set for Maidan for which the chief secretary has been asked to formulate a detailed report. “The protocol will include one important factor, frisking everyone who enters the ground. Also, it is the duty of the people to clean the ground once their function is over. People just book the ground and do nothing after that,” he said.