HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation’s (TSRTC) plans of constructing mini-cinema halls adjoining bus depots across the state remains a non-starter, two years after the proposal was mooted. The proposal finds itself at odds with the AP Cinemas (Regulations) Act, 1955, despite garnering huge interest from private parties.
The project was a part of TSRTCs effort to create additional sources of revenue. The project remains a non-starter despite the corporation identifying 60 bus stations across the state for setting up the project. Since the corporation was mulling construction of mini-cinema halls of seating capacity less than 100, the existing law does not take such theaters into consideration.
“Expression of interest was called for and the project proposal was well received by potential investors. What we should do next is go for the tendering process but before that certain modifications to the cinemas act has to be done,” said GV Ramana Rao, managing director, TSRTC.
The law is written for big theatres, the rules call for commercial spaces with parking facility and a few other provisions, certain waivers to these rules are needed, he added.
Andhra Pradesh government in 2015 gave the nod for building mini cinema halls at 52 bus stations across the state. The AP government bypassed the law by issuing a government order, said the official.
The decision to build the mini cinema halls was taken by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, at a review meeting with TSRTC in June, 2016. A year later, the matter is still under the purview of the Telanagana State government.
“It would have been a good source of revenue for us,” says Rao. “Some waivers are required or else there is no point in going to the tendering stage. TSRTC narrowed in on the idea of mini cinema halls after a similar project at Vadodara, Gujarat was found generate good revenues.”