Indore Municipal Corporation raids MP Cricket Association forward of India’s third T20I, calls for dues

Did the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) raid the MP Cricket Association workplace in Indore to place strain on the organizers free of charge passes?

Indore Municipal Corporation raids MP Cricket Association forward of India’s third T20I (PTI)

HIGHLIGHTSIndore Municipal Corporation raids MP Cricket Association forward of India’s third T20IIndia to face South Africa for third T20I of the collection in IndoreMPCA says all dues cleared, raid to place strain free of charge passes for officers

BHOPAL: Did the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) raid the MP Cricket Association workplace in Indore to place strain on the organizers free of charge passes?

An argument broke out on Tuesday, hours forward of the India- South Africa T20I match when the MP Cricket Association claimed {that a} group of IMC officers led by Additional Commissioner Lata Agarwal raided their workplace to demand municipal taxes. The MPCA claimed that the motion was precipitated by the refusal of the MPCA to provide out ‘extra’ free passes for officers.

The IMC has denied the costs.

On Monday afternoon, a group of IMC officers arrived on the MPCA officers claiming the physique had not paid property tax for the cricket stadium. MPCA workplace bearers together with MPCA President Abhilash Khandekar protested that the final date for submitting property tax was March 31 and the physique can pay it by then. However, the MPCA determined to pay Rs 32 lakh below duress to make sure that the matter is settled earlier than a excessive profile match. The IMC group additionally demanded leisure tax of earlier matches and was knowledgeable that the tax legal responsibility of these matches isn’t on the MPCA however on the organizers of the matches. The leisure tax for the October 4 match can solely be paid after the match because the remaining ticket sale could be identified solely then.

“I’m aghast at the timing of the raid. I am told all this was done to get passes for a junior IAS officer posted in the Indore Municipal Corporation. We decided to settle their tax demand ahead of the due date because we did not want anything to come in the way of organizing the match. The reputation of the state and country is at stake whenever there is an international match,” stated MPCA President Abhilash Khandekar.

The IMC had despatched a letter elevating the demand to the MPCA on September 29. The MPCA replied to the IMC saying that the dues will probably be settled earlier than the due date. Moreover, the IMC has been elevating the tax demand within the identify of the Usha Raje Trust the place the cricket stadium is the property of the MPCA. The MPCA has nevertheless cleared all dues below protest, asking the IMC to vary the identify of stadium proprietor.

The MPCA President stated that 25 passes had already been despatched to the municipal commissioner Pratibha Pal as a courtesy that’s maintained at any time when a match is held. “The additional commissioner Lata Agarwal kept repeating that the IMC Commissioner had sent her,” stated Khandekar. There was a requirement for extra passes from an IAS officer posted within the municipal company which was not entertained, which led to the scenario. “How many passes can we keep doling out? This freebie culture has to end,” stated the MPCA President.

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