The Maidan will not be available for parking during the IPL matches, the army has written to Kolkata Police.

The letter, sent by an officer of the rank of colonel in charge of army land from Headquarters Bengal Area on Monday, said the “defence land in Maidan is not available for parking of vehicles for the forthcoming matches as the same is being utilised for military training”.

The letter said the “defence land (Bangabasi ground and the area adjacent)” was used to park vehicles during the last IPL match on March 22 and that “permission to utilise defence land for parking during the said match was not obtained from the Local Military Authority”.

“The Indian Army is the custodian of the Maidan and protocol demands that one takes permission from the army to use the land temporarily...,” said a senior officer of the Eastern Command.

Senior officers at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar said they were “surprised” by the army’s letter.

“Kolkata Police does not use Bangabasi ground and its adjoining areas to park vehicles. It’s about the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) that hosts the IPL matches at Eden Gardens,” said Y.S. Jagannathrao, the deputy commissioner in charge of city traffic.

Officers said they had reminded CAB officials about the protocol of obtaining permission from the army. The cops said they were told that necessary permission had been taken on March 15.

The next IPL match at Eden Gardens is on April 3.

The letter asks the police “to remove all barricading from defence land within 24 hours (by 8pm, March 25) if installed for parking”.