CAB, police at loggerheads over payment

CALCUTTA, MAY 20: The cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), hosts for the second, and if required, third finals of the Independence Cup, and...

CALCUTTA, MAY 20: The cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), hosts for the second, and if required, third finals of the Independence Cup, and the Calcutta Police are once again at war over payments for providing security at the Eden Gardens on May 27 and 28.

The Calcutta Police has allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh for making security arrangements for the two matches. CAB had paid just over Rs 2 lakh for the last two international matches played here — the World Cup semi-final and the South Africa-India Test match.

Understandably agitated, CAB officials say it will be against the law to pay the police the amount they wanted. They are claiming that sports is after all a form of education and therefore, the responsibility of arranging for security should lie with the State.

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The Calcutta police, however, are not quite ready to buy this argument. According to sources, they are adamant in their demand. The money given by the CAB for security arrangements normally go to the welfare fund.

CAB officials claim that if they pay the demanded amount, they will be in trouble with the Income Tax Department. Earnings from sports being in the tax exempt category in the State, the IT Department waives the tax on the condition that the Association puts the money earned back into the game. The Department might well question them for giving the money to police and slap a stiff tax on them. CAB is still trying to persuade the police to come to a compromise.