VIJAYAWADA: With the Sankranti festive season approaching, single-screen theatres in the State are planning to resume operations in a phased manner from December 26.
The decision comes in the wake of the ‘ReSTARTpackage’ announced by the State government to provide assistance to the Telugu film industry. The theatres across the State were shut in March owing to Covid-induced lockdown.
As part of Unlock 5.0 guidelines, the Centre had permitted resumption of several activities, including reopening of 1,100 cinema halls and multiplexes from October 15, and the State began screening movies in multiplexes from November 1.
Initially, single-screen theatre managements were to commence operations from December 11 following several promises to the theatre and multiplex managements made by Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao in view of GHMC elections.
However, the managements of single-screen theatres didn’t resume their operations as there was no assurance from the government over waiving off fixed power bills and property tax generated during the lockdown.
Commenting on the ‘ReSTART package’ announced by the government, D Srikanth, manager of Raj Yuvaraj Theatre, told TNIE that the package will not provide much relief to theatres, which were reeling under severe crisis due to the closure of business during the pandemic.
“We have requested the State government to completely waive the fixed power bills generated in the last nine months. However, the government gave exemption only for three months — April, May and June — and gave a provision of deferred payment for the remaining months,” he said, adding that steps should be taken by the government in waiving power bills for the remaining months too, as the managements are not in a position to pay Rs 60,000- 1.5 lakh power bills due to lack of business.