CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has set aside a Government Order (G.O.), dated October 21, from the Home (Cinema) Department rejecting a representation from the Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors’ Association to increase ticket rates in State theatres.
The association demanded a hike ranging between 150 per cent and 200 per cent, which was rejected by the government on the ground that the demand was extremely high and that there was no valid reason for the same.
The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, which quashed the G.O. on Monday, directed the government to reconsider the plea within a month. The Bench was disposing off a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) from the association challenging the rejection order of the government.
Justifying the association’s plea to revise the rates upward, the Bench pointed out that the cost on various accounts – electricity, DA payable to employees and entertainment tax – had increased multi-fold during the past 10 years.
“We are, thus, not satisfied with the disposal of the representation made by the petitioner to the government and thus direct that a fresh consideration should take place based on the parameters set out by the petitioner and a decision should be taken within a maximum period of one month and communicated to the petitioner.”