Reveal exact number of tickets sold for Rahman event: GCC to organisers
The official added that the civic officials go soft on such high-profile concerts and the basic inspections as per the Public Health Act and disaster management norms are usually ignored.
The concert held on Sept 10 saw overcrowd leading to allegations including sexual harassment by ticketholders.
CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Thursday asked the ACTC events that organised the controversial AR Rahman concert ‘Marakuma Nenjam’ on September 10 to reveal the number of tickets sold. The ‘mismanaged’ concert faced multiple allegations including mental trauma by ticket holders due to overcrowding.
As per the Tamil Nadu Local Authorities Entertainment Tax, 2017, the civic body levies an entertainment tax of 10 per cent for movies and amusement (amount to be paid for admission to any amusement parks, theme parks etc.), 20 per cent for recreation parlour and 25 per cent for cricket and other tournaments, with the tax being collected based on the number of tickets sold. In the case of the concert, the corporation is not sure about the tax to be collected as there is no clarity on the exact number of tickets sold.
A senior official of Sholinganallur Zone (Zone 15) said that a communique has been sent to the event organiser seeking the number of tickets sold.
“We are yet to get the number of tickets sold on Sunday. Once the number is finalised, an assessment notice will be issued for tax payment,” confirmed another official at the Ripon Building.
“The organisers should have paid the entertainment tax based on the ticket sales. But there is no clarity on this and the organisers were allowed to go scot-free. The civic body is taking up the issue only after the issue was flagged,” a former deputy mayor of Chennai, seeking anonymity, told DT Next.
The official added that the civic officials go soft on such high-profile concerts and the basic inspections as per the Public Health Act and disaster management norms are usually ignored.
Even now the organiser can be booked for the congestion in the event, which is a violation as per the Public Health Act and disaster management rules, the former councillor said.
The organisers of the event, which was announced to be held on August 12 but rescheduled to September due to rain, sold the tickets for prices ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000 for various categories. The Tambaram police had also served notices to the event organisers seeking clarification on the increase in the footfall.