PTI | 05:03 PM,Mar 30,2011

Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Cricket seems to have triumphed over
the crucial business of Maharashtra Legislature, as the Houses
finished proceedings by 2 pm, in time for legislators to catch
the crucial India-Pakistan semi-final on TV. Today’s agenda for the Houses was listed till 2 pm,
a senior Vidhan Bhawan official said. No official announcement
was made on the reason for winding up the Houses so early, but
the reason was not difficult to fathom in this cricket-crazy
nation. Members of state Legislative Council yesterday demanded
that passes be given to them for the April 2 final match to be
held at Wankhede Stadium here. The stadium is close to the Vidhan Bhawan building where
the Budget session is underway. Meanwhile, many offices in the city gave their employees
half a day’s leave so that they could enjoy today’s match. “We were allowed to go home at 1pm itself so that we
could enjoy today’s match,” said Anurag More, who works as an
executive for a Public Relations firm. In fact, Reliance Infra has declared a holiday for its
employees today. “When the semi-final is lined up between India and
Pakistan, the collective passion associated with this event is
beyond imagination. Hence, it has been decided to declare a
holiday on March 30, 2011; giving all employees an opportunity
to enjoy the match,” the company said in a statement issued
earlier this week. Roads in most parts of the city were deserted, while less
than usual crowd was seen in local trains.