Kerala - Kochi   

All taxes from cricket team will be collected: Mayor

KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation will collect all the tax amounts due to it from the Kochi Tuskers Kerala, the local team playing the Indian Premier League cricket, said Mayor Tony Chammany here on Wednesday.

Replying to a heated debate in the Corporation Council, Mr. Chammany said the corporation had facilitated the conduct of the matches in Kochi considering the larger interest of the city and cricket lovers. At the same time, it would also take all possible measures for realising the tax amount due to it, he said.

Several Opposition councillors including M. Anilkumar and M.P. Maheshkumar alleged that there were irregularities and confusion in the stamping of tickets for the matches. Some councillors also alleged that the team officials had confided that bribes were paid to some officials of the corporation for getting the tickets stamped.

Councillor's complaint

Refuting the allegations, the Mayor and T.J. Vinod, Chairman of the Development Standing Committee, said the issuance of the tickets and allowing tax rebate were carried out in a most transparent manner. The Mayor, who read out the ticket sales and tax figures, also offered to give its printed copies to all the councillors.

Mr. Maheshkumar, who was unsatisfied with the explanations of the Mayor, said he didn't get a reply from the Corporation Secretary though he had filed a written complaint. He also told the Mayor that he would legally proceed against the civic administration for its omissions and commissions regarding the collection of tax.

The council also decided not to take any complimentary passes for the remaining IPL matches in Kochi in response to some media reports that the corporation was putting hurdles before the team management by demanding more complimentary passes. The Mayor also read out the number of passes offered to the councillors. He also informed the council that he had returned two passes to the organisers.

Earlier, some of the councillors, including K.R. Premakumar demanded that the corporation should not collect any complimentary passes. Those who took part in the discussion included P.S. Prakash, V.A. Srijith, N.A. Shafeek, P.R. Ranish, Mumtaz teacher, Thampi Subramanian, Shyla Thadevouse, Shyamala S. Prabhu, P.S. Rajam and Sojan Antony.

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