From May 1, cinema ticket price in Karnataka to be capped at Rs 200


Bengaluru, Apr 28 (PTI): The Karnataka government will issue in the next two days an order for implementing a state budgetary proposal to cap cinema ticket rates at Rs 200, a top official said today.

The delay in issuing the order has triggered a public debate as cinema theatres had started charging whopping ticket prices for the keenly awaited "Baahubali-2", which hit the screens yesterday.

The order would be issued in the next two days, Principal Secretary for Information, M Lakshminarayana told PTI as the high pre-booking prices of 'Baahubali-2' tickets brought to the fore again the demand for implementing the proposal.

Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) President Sa Ra Govindu said, "It looks like the order will be issued in the next two days, probably after Monday."

Govindu has been pushing for implementing the proposal after the KFCC received complaints of exorbitant ticket rates being charged for the Prabhat starrer and S S Rajouli directed "Baahubali 2:The Conclusion".

He is pressing for refund of the excess amount charged for Baahubali-2 and other films if the government implemented the proposal.

"The chief minister has already given in-principle consent to the capping proposal in his budget speech, and hence the final approval for issuing the order will be given at the principal secretary level," an Information Department official said.

On allegations that the government has been needlessly sending the file between the departments, the official said it is not done deliberately, but to seek consent from departments which come under the purview of the subject matter.

Asked about refunding money to those who had booked tickets at exorbitant rates, Laxminarayana said, "It is not our headache. This problem should be sorted out by cinema theatres. It is a problem between the customers and the theatres."

"The government does not have anything to do with it. We have the authority to cap the prices, and will do it."

The film exhibition industry has been sceptical about the government's move to cap movie ticket prices at Rs 200.

Last month, Mukta Arts Managing Director Rahul Puri had said the industry would in all likelihood oppose the move, stating that price capping as a concept was against free market.

The proposal in the 2017-18 budget followed the recommendations by a 14-member committee, headed by filmmaker and Chairman of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, S V Rajendra Singh Babu, constituted to draft a policy for promotion of the Kannada cinema.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Katapadi/Frazer Town,Bangaluru

    Sat, Apr 29 2017

    This need to be implemented and imposed strictly in all cinema houses

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Stany D'Souza, Mumbai / Bondel

    Sat, Apr 29 2017

    He should cap liquor rates too.

    DisAgree Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed, Bangalore

    Fri, Apr 28 2017

    What nonsense the Mukta Art MD Rahul Puri is saying. Free Market my foot. It's a open loot. Government should interfere when things going out of way. In PVR Gold Orion Mall the ticket price is Rs 1200. In Urvashi where the ticket should be 250 max for Balcony it's Rs. 600. In PVR Elements mall for Gold class it's Rs 900. Is this free market? If Government don't interfere then the price can even reach Rs 2000. That's why we have Government to curb any such menace in any matter.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Beowulf, Mangalore

    Sat, Apr 29 2017

    Ahmed,

    So what?? if movie tickets are expensive then dont watch movies in theater. I surely believe that the people can live without watching movies.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shanker, Moon

    Fri, Apr 28 2017

    Lets law takes its own course

    DisAgree [5] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rampa, Moon

    Fri, Apr 28 2017

    NOW MODI WILL MAKE CINEMA TICKET RS 2. HE WILL SAY LETS POOR ALSO WATCH IN MULTIPLEX.

    DisAgree [8] Agree [28] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Apr 28 2017

    Great decisions come only from Karnataka ...

    DisAgree [12] Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • j.anata, Mangaluru / Bengaluru

    Sat, Apr 29 2017

    Jossey, this capping decision was taken by AIADMK in Tamil Nadu three years back! Siddu is replicating it in K'Nataka. There it is 120, here it is 200.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sat, Apr 29 2017

    Aadhaar Card was launched by Nilekani from Karnataka ...

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse


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