However, in June 2023, the government issued a new GR which reduces the price of a T20 and One-Day match to Rs 25 lakh, the petition said | Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to justify its decision to reduce and waive arrears of IPL match organisers for police deployment, saying it found no justification behind the move.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the government, on the one hand, was continuing to increase water taxes for slum dwellers but on the other hand, was waiving police cover fees for cash-rich cricket match organisers.
“What is this? What is the government doing? This is a fee, not a tax. They will keep increasing the water tax on slum dwellers and then remove the fee for such cricket matches. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is the richest cricket association in the world,” the court said.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Anil Galgali challenging the state’s decision to reduce the rate of police protection provided to T20 matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with retrospective effect from 2011.
The petition said the police were yet to recover arrears of Rs 14.82 crore from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for IPL matches held between 2013 and 2018 at the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums in the city.
As per two government resolutions issued in the years 2017 and 2018, the organisers had to pay around Rs 66 to 75 lakh for T20 and one-day match and Rs 55 lakh for a Test match held at Mumbai’s Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums.
However, in June 2023, the government issued a new GR reducing the price of a T20 and One-Day match to Rs 25 lakh, the statement said.
Galgali said in his statement that the GR had a retroactive effect from 2011 and therefore waived the arrears that the organisers had to pay.
The court on Thursday ordered the state government to file an affidavit within two weeks justifying the decision to reduce the amount and also waive the arrears.
“Prima facie, we find no justification for the state government not only reducing the fee payable by the organisers for police deployment but also condoning the arrears,” the court said.
The court said the affidavit should be filed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of the state government or any other senior officer authorised by him.
The affidavit will also have to disclose the total arrears payable by cricket match organisers since 2011 and the steps taken by the government to recover them, the court said.
The petition said that in 2021, the Mumbai Police had raised a demand of Rs 14.82 crore from the MCA for providing police protection for games organised between 2013 and 2018 at the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums.
According to information obtained under the Right to Information Act, the police have so far sent 35 letters to the MCA seeking payment of the dues, the petition said. Apart from this, the police have not made any serious efforts to recover the dues, it is alleged.
The petition sought HC to quash the June 2023 circular issued by the government insofar as it is applicable from 2011 and hence binding for recovery of arrears of Rs 14.82 crore from the MCA.
He also sought an order directing the police department to take steps to recover the arrears along with interest thereon.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: August 29, 2024 | 14:55 IS
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