With the Andhra Pradesh government inordinately delaying taking a decision on increasing the cinema ticket price hike, the distributors and exhibitors of Telugu film industry are likely to move the high court to retain the pre-April ticket prices in theatres.
Though YSR Congress president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy gave the green signal for increasing the ticket prices in cinema theatres on the lines of Tamil Nadu government, the bureaucrats in the government are said to be creating obstacles for strange reasons.
They reportedly told the chief minister that the hike in ticket prices could be considered after the government takes over the online ticketing system in theatres, so that the government could also get good revenue in the form of tax.
They are of the view that if the ticket prices are hiked without the online ticketing system, the producers and exhibitors would make big money and deprive the government of the tax as they had been doing all these years.
The Telugu film industry were hoping that some decision on ticket prices hike would be taken at the cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat in Amaravati on Thursday, but nothing of that sort had happened.
Since several big movies are in the line for the release in the next couple of months, the distributors and exhibitors would be at huge loss with the low ticket rates in theatres fixed by the government.
“So, they are planning to move the high court and get a stay on the government order reducing the ticket prices in theatres,” sources said.
In fact, the Jagan cabinet on Thursday discussed the issue of online ticketing system in theatres. Some ministers reportedly suggested that it would be better if the government enacted legislation in the coming assembly session, but the officials said an ordinance could be issued now, which could be made into an act later.