UT gives tax exemption for India-Australia ODI

Chandigarh, Sep 30 (UNI) The Chandigarh Administration has given entertainment exemption on sale of tickets for the India Australia one-day international cricket match to be played at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here on October 8.

The exemption has been given after receiving a request letter from the Haryana Cricket Association which is hosting the fourth ODI after a gap of 14 years.

Internationally known Steve Bucknor and S L Shastri have been appointed ground umpires for the fourth one-day international.

Disclosing this here today, Haryana Cricket Association secretary and former president of the Board of Control from Cricket in India (BCCI) Ranbir Singh Mahindra told mediapersons that G A Partap Kumar and S D Ranade would be the third and fourth umpire.

Chris Broad of Australia will be the match referee.

Answering a question, the HCA secretary said "the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium is ready to host the one-day international cricket match".

Chandigarh Finance-cum-Sports Secretary S K Sandhu said that upgradation of the Cricket Stadium had started eight months back and it is to be completed in March next year. "In between came the October 8 ODI, so things were advanced. The ugradation work will be over well before the ODI but the lights will be installed next year.

The Chandigarh Administration has spent approximately Rs 4.5 crore for upgradation of the stadium, including installation of a giant electronic scoreboard.

Giving details of the sale of tickets, Mr Mahindra said that tickets will be sold through the branches of the Union Bank and approprirate steps had been taken to check black marketing.

The rates of tickets are Rs 7500, Rs 3500, Rs 2500, Rs 250 and Rs 75 for students. The sale will begin on October 4.

The organising committee announced that no counter for sale of tickets would be set up at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium.

Besides the Chandigarh Police, 250 security guards from a private agency will be put on duty for managing the gates and providing security and traffic control.

The Indian and Australian teams will arrive here on October 6.

Mr Mahindra hinted that more important matches are expected to be played in Chandigarh in the near future. The matches allotted to the Haryana Cricket Association would be playade here, he added.

Also present on the occasion were Sports Director-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner I S Sandhu and UT chief engineer V K Bhardwaj.

UNI