Bombay High Court Questions Fee Waiver for IPL Organizers

The Bombay High Court has demanded that the Maharashtra government justify its decision to waive fees owed by IPL organizers. The court is probing the rationale behind reducing fees for police deployment for IPL matches while increasing water taxes for slum dwellers. A public interest litigation has been filed against the decision.

The Bombay High Court has demanded that the Maharashtra government justify its decision to waive fees owed by Indian Premier League (IPL) match organizers. This development comes as the court flagged concerns over the perceived disparity between lowering fees for wealthy cricket organizers and raising water taxes for slum dwellers.

During a hearing on Thursday, a division bench, including Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, expressed skepticism regarding the state's decision to reduce fees for police deployment at IPL matches starting from 2011. The court highlighted the contradiction in the government's actions and sought a detailed affidavit explaining the rationale behind this decision.

The public interest litigation, filed by activist Anil Galgali, questions the state's choice to retroactively reduce fees, resulting in significant financial relief for the match organizers. The bench has directed the state to file a comprehensive affidavit within two weeks justifying both the fee reduction and the waiver of arrears.

(With inputs from agencies.)