Will MMRDA let ‘Cold-play’ freely at BKC

Global Citizen, the organisers of British rock band Coldplay’s upcoming concert in the city, and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) want the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to waive off the rent for the venue at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), where the event is set to take place on November 19.

MMRDA officials confirmed the same, but added that the development authority can’t take a call on the issue unless the state government gives specific orders for the rent to be exempted.

“We have received a letter from Global Citizen and MTDC’s managing director asking for the rent to be waived off,” said a senior MMRDA official.

According to the MMRDA, it charges rent of Rs 8 per sq m for a single day of any programme that’s scheduled. In addition, it charges Rs 4.5 per sq m for each day that the organiser uses the ground to prepare for the event, which includes setting the stage up and erecting or dismantling the stage before and after the programme. The total area of the MMRDA ground is 2.5 lakh sq m.

“We have sent a reply to the letter from the organisers and the MTDC, saying it is not clear yet whether it is a government function or not and that, without first getting information on the same, we can’t waive off the rent,” the MMRDA official said.

Meanwhile, when asked about the letter seeking for the rent to be relaxed, U.P.S. Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “The decision of waiving off rent would be taken during an authority meeting of the MMRDA.”

Bhavya Bishnoi, spokesperson, Global Citizen (India), said, “They aim to end poverty in line with sustainable development goals. We have requested the state government to support our journey towards ending extreme poverty.”

Tickets for the Coldplay concert have been available on bookmyshow.com from September 12. The tickets range from Rs 25, 000 to Rs 5 lakh. This exorbitant price range, incidentally, resulted in people taking a dig at the organisers and kicking up a social media storm.

The MMRDA had earlier lost revenue of Rs 21 crore as rent after MIDC refused to pay the same for using MMRDA grounds during the Make in India Week.