Excessive cinema ticket charge:notice to Comm Tax Commissioner

The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Commissioner of Commercial Tax, besides others, on a PIL seeking action against cinema-theatre owners who collect excessive ticket charges more than government fixed rates.
The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Puspha Sathyanarayana before whom the petition filed by one G Devarajan come up, issued notice to the Commissioner of Commercial Tax and others, including the Commissioner of Police, Chennai returnable in two weeks.
The petitioner submitted that he was charged Rs 200 for a first class ticket when he went to see a Tamil movie, which was a clear violation of the May 20 2009 state government order, fixing the maximum and minimum rates.

As per the government order, air-conditioned theatres and with family entertainment and restaurant facilities shall charge Rs 120. However, some theatres had collected more than the fixed rates and cheated the public of lakhs of Rupees, he said.
The petitionert said though he had filed a complaint with the Commercial Taxes department on November 2, 2015, sending copies to all other departments concerned, no action had been taken till date.
He alleged that this 'illegal collection' amounts to between Rs 100 crore to Rs 400 crore and was causing loss to the government exchequer.
He sought a directive to the authorities to take action against owners of cinema theatres who charge excessive rates.