Justify waiver of cover dues from organisers of IPL matches from 2011: HC

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to justify its decision to reduce and waive the arrears from the organisers of IPL matches for police deployment, noting that it did not find any rationale behind the move. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the government on the one hand kept increasing the water tax charges on slum dwellers but on the other hand, was waiving police cover fees from cash-rich organisers of cricket matches. What is this? What are you (government) doing? This is a fee not tax. You will keep on increasing the water tax from slum dwellers and then you waive off the fee for such cricket matches. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is the richest cricket association globally," the court said. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Anil Galgali challenging the state's decision to reduce the rate for police protection provided to the Indian Premier