KOCHI: Considering the financial crisis being faced by the State Government, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has decided not to request for an exemption from entertainment tax for the India-West Indies one-day international (ODI) to be held here on October 8.
The KCA usually pays around `50 lakh as entertainment tax for ODI, and the decision comes at a time when tax exemption was listed for consideration in the agenda of the Kochi Corporation.
KCA president T C Mathew said that the Association had unanimously decided not to seek tax exemption at its organising committee meeting held here on Thursday. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is president of the committee, and Thrikkakara MLA Benny Behanan is its chairman.
Meanwhile, Mathew said KCA would not pass on the tax to spectators by raising the ticket price, and that the amount would be borne by the Association itself.
“Revenue from ticket sales is not our target. We are aiming at providing opportunity to more people to see the match,” he said.
The district administration, meanwhile, appreciated the KCA’s decision, and offered all the possible support and cooperation for conducting the ODI at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.
Online Ticket Sale Begins
The online purchase of tickets for the ODI began on the Federal Bank website on Thursday midnight. The tickets are available on www.federalbank.co.in.
Only the chairs are on offer online. The AC cubicle will cost `3,000. The pavilion chairs - located above the players’ dressing room - the premium chairs and the ordinary chairs will cost `1,500, `1,000 and `500, respectively.
The gallery tickets, which will cost `200, will be available for sale from September 29, through Federal Bank branches. The tickets will also be available at the Nehru Stadium on October 5, 6 and 7. However, on the day of the match, tickets will be available only at the Palarivattom branch of the bank.
The online reservations can be exchanged for physical tickets from the same branch from September 29. Tickets will also be available at selected branches during bank holidays.