The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday permitted cinema halls in India to operate at a higher seating capacity and issued a new set of guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution.
The revised Standard Operating Procedure for theatres will soon be announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) in consultation with the MHA and will be effective from February 1.
“Cinema halls and theatres have already been permitted up to 50% of seating capacity. Now they will be permitted to operate at higher seating capacity, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in consultation with MHA,” the official guideline stated.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association chief Tiruppur Subramaniam said that he was happy with the Centre’s decision. “Personally, I would like 100% seating capacity,” he said.
The decision to increase seating capacity at cinema halls comes days ahead of the announcement of the Union Budget 2021, which will be presented on February 1. On January 22, representatives of India’s multiplex chains, along with Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sunny Deol, met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to seek relief measures to cover the heavy losses incurred by the entertainment industry during the Covid-19 related lockdown in the country.
According to Mint, theatre owners are expecting a waiver or reduction in power and maintenance charges, single-window licence for opening more screens, and cheaper financing options to open food courts on the premises.
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After seven months of lockdown, cinema halls reopened on October 15 as per the Unlock 5 guidelines, which allowed them to operate at 50% capacity. However, theatres in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were the last ones to reopen with this capacity.
Earlier this month Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal theatres sought to raise seating occupancy from 50% to 100% after Tamil Nadu issued orders on January 4 permitting theatres to run at full capacity. However, the decision was soon reversed after the MHA wrote to the Tamil Nadu chief secretary, asking the state government to withdraw the order.
Currently, West Bengal is the only state with theatres operating at full seating capacity.