Shiv Kumar, who is an electrician with the UP Sports Department, is helped by a tubewell operator in maintaining the pitch and officials are baffled as to what the fuss is all about.

"What is wrong in this? The Green Park stadium belongs to the UP Sports Department and they are free to appoint anyone for this responsibility," said Anil Banodha, the deputy director of UP Sports Department.

The pitch curator of the UPCA, which organises international matches at the Green Park, said he cannot do anything about the current set-up.

"Green Park belongs to UP Government. The UPCA gets it only when it is hosting an international match. When the stadium doesn't belong to us, how can we assume responsibility of its pitch," he said.

Shiv, meanwhile, said he works as per instructions of his department.