CHENNAI: Coming down heavily on the licensing authorities for failing to follow the due procedure in granting approval to build or alter cinema halls, the Commissioner of land administration has issued a circular stating that no such facility can be built or altered without approval of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Directorate of Town and Country Planning.
“It has been brought to notice that cinema licences have been issued in some districts without insisting on approval from DTCP by certain licensing authorities. If it is so, such practice is against the procedure laid down under the Tamil Nadu Cinema (Reg) Act 1955,” said the circular issued by the Commissioner of Land Administration K Rajaraman.
The circular was issued in the wake of a cinema theatre owner from Mettupalayam filing a writ petition in the Madras High Court after Coimbatore Collector directed him to obtain approval from the competent authority under the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act 1971.
The owner of Shree Sakthi Theatre contended in the Madras High Court that in several cases licences were issued under the Cinematograph Act without insisting on DTCP approval.
Following this, the Commissioner warned the licensing officials that action will be initiated against them if they failed to adhere to the procedures of issuing no-objection certificate to cinema theatres only after the halls get approval from DTCP or CMDA.
Meanwhile, Abirami Ramanathan, president of Theatre Owners Association, told Express they have requested the Chief Minister to exempt cinema theatres from the purview of CMDA. “We have met the Chief Minister recently in this regard,” he said.