0
BCCI, the world’s most expensive cricket board, owes crores of rupees to Mumbai Police. After which the boardon Friday informed the Bombay High Court that it will pay within two weeks all its dues to Mumbai, Pimpri Chinchwad and Navi Mumbai police for providing police security during IPL matches. BCCI has responded to a PIL filed by Mumbai-based RTI activist Anil Vedvyas Galgali on August 29, 2024.
According to The Hindu report, Galgali’s petition challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision to reduce police security costs and waive off dues for police services provided to IPL matches since 2011. In August 2024, the High Court had condemned the Maharashtra government’s decision to reduce the rate of police security fees for IPL matches. The petitioner had alleged that Mumbai Cricket Association currently owes Rs 14.82 crore for police security during IPL matches held at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium between 2013 and 2018. However, the board has accepted a very small amount.
BCCI responded to the plea in an affidavit and said it owed Rs 1.7 crore to Pimpri Chinchwad Police, Rs 3.3 crore to Navi Mumbai Police and Rs 1.03 crore to Mumbai Police. The board has said that it will pay the outstanding amount within two weeks. BCCI has no intention of waiving the dues of the police and undertakes to pay the disputed amount within 90 days of settlement of accounts with the concerned police authorities, the BCCI said in its affidavit. BCCI gives money only for IPL qualifiers, eliminator and final matches, Women’s Premier League matches and any other matches held in exceptional circumstances.
With the same plea, the Cricket Board asked the High Court to dismiss the petition filed by Galgali, as the question of the fee charged for police security for cricket matches was a decision of the police. Galgali’s petition states that as per two government proposals issued in the year 2017 and 2018, the organizers will have to pay approximately Rs 66 lakh to Rs 75 lakh for each T20 and ODI match held in both the stadiums and Rs 75 lakh for a Test match. For this, Rs 55 lakh had to be paid. Also, the petition alleged that through a circular dated June 26, 2023, the state government had reduced the security fee for IPL organizers from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 10 lakh with retrospective effect and this decision of the state to waive the dues. The government exchequer is suffering loss due to this.