Plea to regulate exhorbitant movie ticket price in Madurai

Referring to Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1957 – Revision of rates of admission for cinema theatres and a GO dated October 6, 2017 issued through Home (Cinema) Department, A Sankar, Executive Director of Empower, Centre for Consumer and Environment Education, Research and Advocacy, on Wednesday said proprietors of multiplexes can collect maximum of Rs 150 and a minimum of Rs 50 for a movie ticket in air-conditioned cinema halls.

As for movie halls located under the limits of corporations, municipalities and town panchayats, the maximum price is Rs 100 and Rs 40 at the minimum.

Regarding village panchayats, a maximum of Rs 75 and a minimum of Rs 25 in air-conditioned theatres were fixed as per the GO. On the other side, proprietors of non-AC theatres being made operational under the limits of village panchayats, town panchayats, municipalities and corporations were bound to collect a minimum of Rs 20 and maximum of Rs 80 from the audience.

Apart from movie tickets, requests to reduce prices of vehicle parking were also raised. According to the GO, theatre owners in parts of corporations and municipalities with special grade should collect parking fee of Rs 20 for a four-wheeler and Rs 10 for a two-wheeler. While it was Rs 15 and Rs 7 for theatres in localities of municipalities, parking fee is Rs 5 and Rs 3 in parts of towns and village panchayats. The Centre for Consumer Education has taken forward the growing issue with Thoothukudi Collector Sandeep Nanduri, for immediate action to regulate the movie ticket and vehicle parking fee in cinema halls.