Plea against high parking rates in malls and theatres

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathayanarayanan and Justice P Rajamanickam before whom the plea moved by an advocate S Natarajan as a public interest litigation came up on Wednesday ordered notice to the impleaded respondent returnable by February 20.

The petitioner had submitted that the state had come up with a GO dated November 30, 2017 fixing some standard to collect parking charges in malls and theatres. Similarly, the GO had sought to find an alternate method to eradicate ‘physical checking’ being done in theatres and also control the rate of food stuff being sold at multiplex theatres and malls.

But contrary to this, none of the malls and theatres have failed to adhere to the GO and collect exorbitant parking charges. Owing to this, the public at large are pushed to untold suffering and hardships since they have to part with more money on account of parking charges.

He also submitted in his plea that high rates being charged for food stuff is highly prevalent in almost all the malls/theatre complexes. Moreover, the matter pertaining to the scientific method of screening/checking is also not properly adhered by most of the theatre authorities particularly men are being physically touched by the security, who are engaged in such checking.

The plea also claimed that adequate free drinking water is also not provided in the multiplexes and by prohibiting people from bringing outside food in such complexes, the public are indirectly forced to buy such food stuff and even water at exorbitant rates.

A representation to this effect to the government on December 04, 2018 had failed to evoke any response and hence had to move the high court to ensure that the GO issued in this regard is implemented, the plea said.