Tata auditorium: Out of reach

Jamshedpur,May 8: The spacious Tata auditorium at XLRI will henceforth be available for only select and special functions.

Confirming the decision here today, XLRI sources attributed it to a series of unhappy experiences in the last year, when the auditorium was damaged and urinals vandalised.

What is more, boisterous spectators have often disturbed the peace and tranquillity of the campus, said XLRI administrator S. Akhtar.

So, no more frenzied fashion shows or inter-school fests at the auditorium, which boasts of a seating capacity of 1,500, will be allowed. The hall, henceforth, will be let out only for very special functions that will attract relatively manageable crowd, said sources.

Chairs and urinals were damaged late last year during an inter-school event, sources said, which attracted over 2,000 students from schools in the steel city.

Another cultural function featuring a celebrity dancer also witnessed unruly behaviour, with a section of the audience going berserk and destroying furniture.

The decision has been taken in the interest of students at XLRI and to preserve the peaceful, academic ambience of the campus, said Akhtar, refusing to go into details. Applications, therefore, will be screened more carefully and the auditorium will be let out sparingly.

The decision today caused some dismay and considerable consternation among people.

Tata Auditorium , they felt, is the most attractive venue for the ample open space, large foyers on the first as well as the ground floor and the large parking lot besides having the highest seating capacity in the city.

There is really no other auditorium, where a “big” event can be held, said a dismayed Arindam Ghosh, who runs an event-management company.

XLRI insists on a security deposit of Rs 5,000 over and above the charges for the use of the hall. Moreover, it also surveys the auditorium after the event, estimates damages, if any, and insists on the organisers paying for them. So, penalty in the form of heavy fines, raising the security deposit and even blacklisting organisations, said Ghosh, could force organisers to behave responsibly and take adequate precautions.

Sources suggested XLRI should restrict the entry of vehicles into the open space outside the auditorium to avoid disturbance.

XLRI currently charges Rs 8,000 per hour for letting out the hall. But although the decision would tell on the revenue, maintenance of the auditorium and the students’ welfare prompted the decision, insist sources in the XLRI.