KMC collects record outstanding amusement tax dues from KKR
Kolkata: The Amusement department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is raking in moolah having collected a whooping Rs 3.73 crore outstanding due from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This is a record collection for the KMC as KKR has been paying amusement tax partially since 2011 and the outstanding dues were mounting by leaps and bounds. “We have been constantly pressing the KKR management to clear our outstanding dues and by the end of this recently concluded 2023-24 financial year, we came to a settlement and the latter coughed up Rs 3.73 crore outstanding in one go,” a senior official of KMC’s Amusement department said.
Kolkata Knight Riders are a professional franchise cricket team representing the city of Kolkata in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta.
The amusement tax collection in 2023-24 fiscal has also witnessed a significant jump in comparison to the 2022-23 financial year. The collection has been over Rs 6.55 crore this year in comparison to Rs 5.765 crore in 2022-23.
Hence, the cumulative total amusement tax collection has climbed upto Rs 10.28 crore in 2023-24.
When asked about the factors leading to the rise in amusement tax collection, a senior official said that KMC has laid special emphasis on bringing all establishments that are supposed to come under the aegis of amusement tax within its domain. In the recent past, many such establishments have mushroomed in the city with the owners not bringing the same before the knowledge of the civic body.
“We mobilised our inspection team and they paid visits to different places in the city in an attempt to bring more establishments under the tax net,” the official said. The three-member inspection team of the KMC is led by an inspector who is accompanied by a sub-inspector and a bailiff.
The Amusement department is in constant touch with Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) so that they cough up Rs 5 crore outstanding dues.
The Amusement department issues permission under Section 422 read with Sec.543 (2) of the KMC Act 1980 to amusement-related activities that include theatres, cinema halls, circuses, fairs, fetes, exhibitions, dancing halls, carnivals, cyber cafes, cable TV operators, restaurants with amusement facilities, clubs and similar public resorts. Amusement fee is a license fee that must be paid prior to commencing business operations.
