PIL against waiving entertainment duty on 'Coldplay' concert

A PIL was today filed in the Bombay High Court challenging Maharashtra government's decision to waive off entertainment duty for the upcoming Coldplay concert here, just three days ahead of the much-anticipated performance by the British rock band.
The public interest litigation filed by activist Anjali Damania will come up for hearing tomorrow before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur.
The concert by the British band is scheduled to be held on November 19 at the MMRDA grounds in suburban Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).
The petition has challenged the government's decision to waive off entertainment duty for the concert and also the MMRDA's decision to grant 75 per cent concession on rentals, which amount to almost Rs six crores less.

Damania's lawyer Uday Warunjikar said the concert is a commercial activity and hence, such waivers cannot be granted. He said that granting such waivers was beyond the scope of the Bombay Entertainment Duty Act.
Warunjikar mentioned the petition today before the high court which said it would hear it tomorrow.
The petition has sought for both the entertainment duty and the ground concession money to be collected.