Hyderabad: Cinemas feel the heat in crackdown over MRP

Hyderabad: Multiplexes of Prasads Imax, GVK's INOX, PVR and Big Cinemas have been charged with non-compliance of conditions as set by the Legal Metrology Department. Cases were registered against the cinema theatres on Wednesday. Special checks were conducted to ensure all cinema halls and theatres sell food items, water bottles and cool drinks as per MRPs set in the open market. 

In addition the packaging must have weight, quantity, manufacturing date, expiry and MRP printed on them. Billing machines were seized at 6 multiplexes namely: Imax Prasad, Thulluri, Special Cinemax, Cinepolis and Inox. Coffee machines were also seized from a few theatres.

A total of 54 cases were booked against 18 of the 20 cinema halls and theatres that were investigated by special checks conducted in Greater Hyderabad and HMDA zone. Despite the departments conducting awareness programmes attended by officials from GVK, Imax and PVR multiplexes, the theatres failed to follow the regulations. The Chief Controller, Akun Sabharwal, Legal Metrology, said, “The preliminary checks will be done as foretold. However unannounced checks will follow. The department is taking very seriously the regulations that have been set forth and penalties are sure to follow for non-compliance of the regulations.”