Top officials of the Industrial Area Local Authority (IALA) slapped a property tax dues notice of Rs.12 crore on Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), but did not take the drastic step of seizing the property.
Three IPL matches featuring home team Sunrisers Hyderabad are scheduled to be held in the coming days in the stadium and it is not yet known if authorities will allow them to take place in case HCA does not pay up soon.
As per rules, 65 per cent of the tax should be paid to IALA, and 35 per cent to GHMC. HCA had not paid the dues since 2009, IALA officials claimed, after holding talks with HCA V.P. Narender Goud.
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Few months ago, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) took away some furniture for a similar charge and returned them on assurance that the tax dues would be paid by March 30.
Meanwhile, Uppal MLA N.V.S.S. Prabhakar demanded the HCA pay up instead of putting the IPL matches in jeopardy.
HCA secretary K. John Manoj claimed that the tax due demanded was "unfair and too high" because stadium does not have any "commercial interest".
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"We are confident of resolving this dispute soon though it is the legacy which has been thrust by the previous ruling body," he said.