No ban on outside food in multiplexes: Maharashtra government
Nagpur, July 13 : Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ravindra Chavan on Friday assured the state legislature that "there is no ban on patrons carrying outside food to multiplexes but if the multiplex authorities prohibit it, they could face action".
The minister's statement came after a heated debate on the raging issue of the exorbitant rates charged by multiplexes for food, water and beverages which were higher than the printed maximum retail price (MRP).
Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde raised the issue of differential pricing of the same product inside and outside multiplexes.
In recent weeks, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) carried out agitations and protests inside various multiplexes in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and other cities where a popcorn pack costing Rs 5 outside was sold for Rs 250 inside.
The agitations, occasionally violent, however seemed to have struck a cord and elicited huge public response even on social media platforms.
The Bombay High Court last month demanded to know why the Maharashtra government could not regulate the prices of the food and beverages sold inside multiplexes.
Hearing a petition filed last year by a social activist Jainendra Baxi, the court observed that in many instances, the foodstuffs were priced even higher than the entry ticket rates and ordered the state government to file its affidavit in the matter within four weeks.
Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India (COEA) President Nitin Datar said that they have not received any orders from the government.
"We will naturally comply if the government makes it mandatory. So far it is an announcement in the legislature and the entire issue is not clear till the formal orders are issued," Datar told IANS.
While admitting there were discrepancies in the rates of foods and beverages, he also revealed that the differences were much higher compared between the privately-owned multiplexes and the multiplexes chain owned by the bigger companies.
"It is true that the prices vary, but these must be regulated everywhere, not just for the cinemas. This is a business meant to make profits, but if people cannot afford, they have the option of single-screen cinemas where the rates are much lower," Datar pointed out.
However, he ruled out the possibility of foodstuffs being directly sold to patrons in cinemas or multiplexes, as in some small towns in different parts of India, as hawking or selling anything inside the auditorium is prohibited under the Maharashtra Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, on safety and security grounds.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
