Court clears way for Delhi to host fourth Test

Cricket : Excise department told to give no objection certificate

 Delhi will remain the host of fourth and final Test between India and South Africa. The week-long suspense was put to rest after the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the State government’s excise department to grant the No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), paving the way for the match to be held at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

The Delhi High Court stated that DDCA had agreed to deposit Rs one crore in connection with the administration's entertainment tax demand. A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva also directed the AAP government not to take any “coercive measures” against DDCA in connection with the Rs 24.45-crore entertainment tax demand raised on the cricketing body by the administration's Excise, Entertainment and Luxury Tax Department.

The court asked DDCA to deposit Rs one crore with the department in two installments of Rs 50 lakh each. The first installment needs to be paid within two weeks from Thursday, and the remaining in two weeks thereafter, the court said. The court also listed the matter for further hearing on November 27. The order came on DDCA's plea challenging a recent Delhi government decision to slap an amount Rs 24.45 crore as entertainment tax dues on the association. The hearing, though, will have no bearing on the Test.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) too gave its nod in line with the Delhi High Court’s order. The BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur confirmed to Deccan Herald the board would be releasing the first installment of financial grant to the DDCA by Friday.

The DDCA had submitted its accounts to BCCI this month after a long delay and is eligible for board's grant now. It had put in a request of Rs 10 crore, out of which BCCI is expected to release Rs 2.5 crore as first installment.

“The last week had been hectic, troublesome, even tense but ultimately we have achieved what we wanted.  We are thankful for the intervention of the judiciary and for understanding the feelings of the cricketers and cricket lovers. We still feel we have no entertainment tax outstanding on us, our case is genuine and just,” DDCA working president Chetan Chauhan told Deccan Herald.

A beleaguered DDCA was in grave danger of losing the December 3-7 Test with BCCI setting a deadline of November 17 for the association to procure necessary clearances from various government agencies for hosting the match. The BCCI even named Pune as the back-up venue, in case DDCA failed to meet the deadline.

To add to DDCA’s troubles, a three-member government probe panel in its fast track finding recommended suspension of the Delhi cricket body on grounds of corruption and replacing it with a body of professional cricketers till a lasting solution is found.

 In a last ditch effort, DDCA approached the High Court which turned the tide in its favour. In fact it was only on Wednesday that DDCA could get a breakthrough when the Court facilitated most clearances, including directing South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to issue Provisional Occupancy Certificate. However, the bench made it clear they had bailed out DDCA for the last time and did so because it didn’t want to penalise the fans of the capital.