The Devendra Fadnavis government on Wednesday granted entertainment duty exemption to the Australian World Orchestra concerts to be conducted by Padma Vibhushan Zubin Mehta on October 25 and 26.
A senior bureaucrat said that following an application made by the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation, the state government has invoked the provisions of the Maharashtra Entertainment Rules, 1923, to grant exemption for the event from payment of entertainment duty.
The bureaucrat said that according to the rules, the organizers have been asked to submit an affidavit saying, the exemption granted for the event will not be utilized for any other event. “We have prescribed rules and whenever an exemption is granted for an event, it has to be utilized exclusively for that event only,” he said.
The bureaucrat added that according to the rules, the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation will have to submit specific details of the tickets and sponsorship to the Mumbai collector. “It is standard procedure; the organizers will have to submit information to the Mumbai collector. Any violation of rules will attract disciplinary proceedings,” he warned.