Visva-Bharati on Tuesday gave its nod to organise Basanta Utsav on Holi but the venue would be shifted to the Pous Mela ground from the usual Ashram ground.

The decision was taken at a three-hour long meeting where Bengal government officials assured the central university of “total help”.

“We will only look after the cultural part of the festival and rest will be taken care of by the state administration. We have received such assurance and agreed to hold Basanta Utsav on the day of Dol (Holi),” vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty said after the meeting.

Officials said the decision to change the venue was taken after it was proposed by Birbhum district police chief Shyam Singh for better crowd management. The Pous Mela ground is an open space rather than the one on the campus.

Ashram ground is located near Patha-Bhavana and Pous Mela ground is adjacent to the varsity’s central administrative block, which is around 800m from the core Ashram area.

Visva-Bharati had earlier decided to disassociate Basanta Utsav from Holi because the the campus had witnessed huge chaos last year. But education minister Partha Chatterjee called up the VC asking him to hold the event on Holi as had been the tradition.

He had assured to extend necessary help to hold the event.

“However, it is not for first time that Basanta Utsav will be organised at the Pous Mela ground. In 2014, the festival was organised at that ground for similar reasons,” said a senior varsity official.