Lucknow's Ekana stadium gets Rs 28 crore tax notice

Lucknow, Mar 2 (PTI) The Lucknow Municipal Corporation has issued a Rs 28.42 crore property tax notice to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium, also known as Ekana stadium, officials said on Sunday.
    The notice comes ahead of the Women’s Premier League matches scheduled this month and the Indian Premier League matches in April, raising concerns over their smooth conduct.
    The stadium administration has termed the notice "unjust" and plans to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to seek relief.
    According to a statement from Additional Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Srivastava, Zone 4 of the municipal corporation issued the notice on Saturday.
    The amount includes Rs 5.45 crore in tax due since December 1, 2020, and an outstanding balance of Rs 22.97 crore, the statement said, adding, the decision has been taken as per legal provisions and will be strictly enforced.
    Srivastava clarified that only the sports grounds and stadiums of government-aided or recognised non-aided educational institutions are exempt from property tax. Since Ekana stadium does not fall under this category, it is liable to pay the tax.
    “Ekana stadium hosts IPL matches, professional sports events and cultural programmes with ticket sales. Therefore, the property tax assessment is justified. Currently, only property tax is being levied, and there is no action on water or sewerage charges,” Srivastava added.
    He said the stadium administration had previously objected to the tax assessment, but those objections were deemed baseless.
    Ekana stadium Director Uday Sinha called the notice "against the rules."
    "We will soon meet the Chief Minister and seek justice," he told PTI.
    Sinha questioned the rationale behind imposing a Rs 28 crore tax liability, arguing that the Lucknow Municipal Corporation's rules provide tax exemption for all types of stadiums.
    He also pointed out that the notice does not mention a deadline for payment and expressed hope that the issue would be resolved without affecting IPL matches.
    Ekana stadium is the home ground for IPL team Lucknow Super Giants and is scheduled to host seven IPL matches this season.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)