La Tomatina organizer slapped Rs 4.5 lakh fine

VADODARA: The district administration has seen red over the La Tomatina festival that was organized in the city on the occasion of Friendship Day. District collector Vinod Rao on Tuesday issued a notice to the organizers of the fest, asking why they shouldn't be penalized. The notice says that the organizers sold event tickets to thousands of people but didn't pay up entertainment tax.Rao has slapped a penalty of Rs 4.5 lakh on the FourAce Entertainment, which had organized the event at Lileria party plot on Sama-Savli Road on Sunday.
"The organizers sold tickets to about 3,000 people and collected Rs 300 each from them. They didn't pay entertainment tax as is mandatory according to the section 3 under the Entertainment Tax Act 1977. The organizers have to pay 20 per cent of the gross amount towards entertainment tax," Rao told TOI. He added that the administration is mulling to take further action against the organizers.
The notice also states that the organizers wasted essential commodity like tomatoes and didn't take prior permission for the event. The organizers have been asked why they shouldn't pay Rs 4.5 lakh that includes 1.80 lakh towards entertainment tax and another Rs 2.70 lakh towards penalty. "We will ensure that they pay up the penalty amount," Rao added. The administration is also looking at possibilities of filing FIR against the organizers.
The organizers had claimed that 2,500 youths attended the event and Rs 16 lakh was spent on it. Organizer, Prince Patel had also said that there is no price rise in reality and the event was for the merriment of the youth." Unmindful of the fact that the prices of tomato were hovering around Rs 90 per kilogram, youngsters hurled them at each other during the fest.
Leader of opposition in Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and Congress councillor Chandrakant Shrivastava, who learnt about the event and even obtained its photographs, said strict action should be taken against such wastage on the lines against those who hoard such commodities.