KOCHI: As the government permitted malls in the state to function from Wednesday, the prospect of theatres getting reopened has also brightened.
Though it is yet to be officially announced, sources said the government is likely to give sanctions to open cinema halls in the coming weeks.
The office-bearers of the Film Exhibitors Federation and other film bodies have already urged the government to consider permitting to reopen the cinema halls that were closed down in April this year following the second wave of Covid, from August second week.
In a statement issued here, the office-bearers of Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEOUK) said the theatre owners all over the state are facing a severe financial crunch owing to the lockdown.
“When the theatres were reopened in January 2021 after the first Covid wave, all the theatres strictly followed the prevention measures. Not even a single case of Covid was reported from theatres. Hence, the government should allow us to reopen theatres with the permission to conduct a total of four shows daily,” said FEOUK general secretary Sumesh Jospeh Manarcaud.
The Union has also put forth a list of demands before the government to revive the theatres.
“The government should give relaxations on the entertainment tax. It should also completely waive the fixed charges on power tariff for the period between March 2020 to December 2021,” he added.