HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has accorded permission to enhance the seating capacity to 100 per cent from the earlier 50 per cent in cinemas, theatres and multiplexes in the wake of the Centre's recent orders to the effect.
The movie halls, theatres and multiplexes were allowed only 50 per cent capacity as part of a step to keep COVID-19 under check.
Prior to this, the entertainment facilities were fully closed in view of the pandemic.
Now that the coronavirus is more or less controlled, the government thought it fit to re-open the facilities.
"The government, keeping in view the ordersissued by the Ministry of Home Affairsand SOPsissued by the Ministry of Information&Broadcasting...hereby permit to enhance the seating capacity to 100 % in cinemas/theatres/ multiplexes," Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar said in an order dated February 4.
The managementsof cinemas, theatres, multiplexes shall ensure the SOPs (standard operating procedures)as laid down by the government in its order issuedon November 23, 2020, he said in the order.
In its November 23 order, the state government had permitted re-opening cinemas, theatres, multiplexes with upto 50 per cent of their seating capacity in areas outside the containment zones, duly prescribing the SOPs.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar recently announced that cinemas across the country would be permitted to operate at 100 per cent capacity from February 1 with adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols.
He had also released a set of the SOPs.