Author: Subhajoy Roy and Meghdeep Bhattacharyya
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: November 30, 2014
URL:   http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141130/jsp/frontpage/story_19105963.jsp#.VHqkIzGUe-0

Precision /noun/ the quality of being exact, accurate and careful (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)

The degree of refinement with which an operation is performed or a measurement stated (Merriam-Webster)

The well-meaning guardians of the city today discovered the meaning of precision, thanks to a stage as big — or small — as a two-bedroom flat.

To be precise, the stage measures 960sqft.

For the first time in memory, if not ever, rules were enforced and followed to a T for a political event in public space in Calcutta when the stage began taking shape this morning for the BJP’s Sunday rally.

The rally is scheduled to be attended by the BJP’s national president, Amit Shah, and its venue has achieved stardom because of the objections raised by the Trinamul-run administration and the court battle that followed.

In the process, the city of magnificent Puja pandals and mammoth rallies also learned that civic rules do exist and can be enforced with precision — even on political (but Opposition) parties.

The moment of precision dawned at 10.39am on Saturday when a BJP supporter in long-sleeved T-shirt drew a tape across one portion of the road near Victoria House.

Witnessing the milestone-making measurement were CMC joint municipal commissioner (development) and court-appointed special officer Shrishtidhar Santra; fire services director-general Sanjay Mukherjee; deputy commissioner of police, central, D.P. Singh; Hare Street OC Shantanu Sinha Biswas; and former BJP state president Tathagata Roy.

All this attention should make Mamata Banerjee jealous. Her stage at the same spot four months ago was far bigger at 1,040sqft. In fact, Trinamul’s July 21 event was spread over four platforms that totalled 2,720sqft.

Yet, the civic and fire officials had not blessed that stage with the attention they showered on the dais erected for a politician whom the chief minister dismisses as “Who’s he?”

The exercise also brought to light a piece of statistics that confirmed such events are indeed weighty affairs. The July 21 stage held 15-20 tonnes while tomorrow’s will hold 3 tonnes. The weight includes that of humans, the furniture and the audio paraphernalia.

The following are the key checks run by officials of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation as well as the fire services and the outcome:

Condition 1: A 10-foot gap on all sides of the dais.

Why: The fire services wanted to ensure free movement of fire tenders in case of an emergency. The gap is needed for fire-fighting as well as evacuation.

Was this done earlier? Haha, guffawed a civic official.

Status: Condition met. The gap means the stage, on Bentinck Street, cannot be more than 32 feet long and 30 feet wide.

Condition 2: Agencies in charge of the dais, illumination and electrical connections must possess licences.

Why: The fire department wanted to ensure the minimum standards to avert accidents.

Was this done earlier? No. But parties say they themselves ensure quality as they are more concerned than officials about their leaders’ safety.

Status: Condition met. The BJP event’s arrangements were done by Rajiv Singh Decorators and CM Electricals. Both said they possessed PWD licences.

Condition 3: Sketch of the dais vetted by an engineer.

Why: The CMC and Calcutta police wanted to ensure that laymen would not supervise and rig up a stage.

Was this done earlier? Yes, but unofficially. Since Trinamul runs the CMC, some engineers were asked to go through the dais plan for the July 21 event to ensure Mamata’s safety, sources said.

Status: Condition met.

Condition 4: Disclosing details of quality-screened steel rods and plywood.

Why: The CMC wanted to ensure the safety of those who will be seated on the dais.

Was this done before? Yes but unofficially. “The sturdiness of the dais at the chief minister’s rallies has been a top priority since the collapse of a dais at a Gopiballabhpur rally in August 2004. She escaped unhurt but three party workers were injured,” said a Trinamul source.

Status: Condition met. Steel rods are more or less the norm now.

Verdict

At 4pm, Santra, the special officer, handed a letter to BJP leaders. It said the event could go ahead upon “compliance of statutory formalities”. Translation: the conditions have been met.