Maharashtra govt decides to drop Rs 3.4 cr entertainment tax on Michael Jackson's 1996 show
The show was conducted by Wizcraft on behalf of Raj Thackeray under Shiv Udyog Sena's banner.
By Krishna Kumar, ET Bureau |
AP
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to forgo Rs 3.40 crore in entertainment tax on a Michael Jackson show held 24 years ago. The show was conducted by event management company Wizcraft on behalf of the then Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray under the banner of Shiv Udyog Sena in 1996. The Sena-BJP government at the time gave an exemption to the show as it was purportedly organised to raise funds for the unemployed youth in the state.
A legal challenge to the exemption was then raised by the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), which is a well known consumer rights body. The MGP won the case in the Bombay High Court in 2011 as the court observed that the “exemption was given by non-application of mind”. However, the high court asked the government to reconsider its decision of imposing the tax within eight weeks. But with the Congress-NCP government in power in 2011, the state did not take a decision. When the BJP- Shiv Sena government came to power in 2014, the state again began looking at the issue afresh and the then state revenue secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava began giving hearings to both MGP and Wizcraft.
After the Wednesday decision, MGP chief Shirish Deshpande said, “The matter is not over and we have got good reasons to go to court again. We had already placed our legal objections on why this cannot be entertained. This is people’s money and could have come in handy in the fight against Covid at a time when the state is struggling to arrange funds. The amount with interest would have come to Rs 10 crore now.”
Deshpande further said, “When we had gone to the court earlier, we had said that Shiv Udyog Sena was not even a registered charity and does not even exist now. So, how is the state giving exemption. We will be speaking to our lawyers and decide the next course of action.”
A legal challenge to the exemption was then raised by the Mumbai Grahak Panchayat (MGP), which is a well known consumer rights body. The MGP won the case in the Bombay High Court in 2011 as the court observed that the “exemption was given by non-application of mind”. However, the high court asked the government to reconsider its decision of imposing the tax within eight weeks. But with the Congress-NCP government in power in 2011, the state did not take a decision. When the BJP- Shiv Sena government came to power in 2014, the state again began looking at the issue afresh and the then state revenue secretary Manu Kumar Srivastava began giving hearings to both MGP and Wizcraft.
After the Wednesday decision, MGP chief Shirish Deshpande said, “The matter is not over and we have got good reasons to go to court again. We had already placed our legal objections on why this cannot be entertained. This is people’s money and could have come in handy in the fight against Covid at a time when the state is struggling to arrange funds. The amount with interest would have come to Rs 10 crore now.”
Deshpande further said, “When we had gone to the court earlier, we had said that Shiv Udyog Sena was not even a registered charity and does not even exist now. So, how is the state giving exemption. We will be speaking to our lawyers and decide the next course of action.”
Michael Jackson, possibly one of the finest entertainers the world has ever seen, would have celebrated his 60th birthday today.
Jackson made a foray into the world of music and showbiz as a singer in 'Jackson 5' in 1964.
The star went solo in 1971 and released a string of record-breaking albums, enthralling performances, shock-value music videos, and electrified stadium audiences around the globe.
Audiences loved him the world-over with his kinetic live shows. He has to his credit numerous awards and honours.
As supremely gifted a songwriter as he was a dancer and choreographer, Jackson seemed incapable of penning anything other than a hit in his prime.
Here's a look at his top 5 tracks which topped Billboard charts:
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