The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday suspended G.O. 35 that sought to fix the prices of cinema tickets.
Following the development, the exhibitors would be able to revert to the prices in vogue prior to the enforcement of the G.O.
Advocates representing the theatre owners contended that the government did not have the authority to fix the prices of tickets, and said it was the prerogative of the owners. The court agreed with the petitioners’ claims and suspended the G.O.
The industry had expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s decision and urged it to reconsider the issue. The industry representatives had explained the situation to the Chief Minister and the I&PR Minister Perni but to no avail.
As per the G.O., while the minimum price was ₹5, the maximum was ₹250, and the prices varied in the municipality, nagar panchayat, and municipal corporation limits.
In the municipal corporation limits, the rates were fixed between ₹40 and ₹250 depending upon the theatre type (multiplex, AC, non-AC). The prices were between ₹40 and ₹150 in municipality limits; ₹10 and ₹120 in nagar panchayats; and ₹5 and ₹80 in gram panchayats.
