Mumbai: Single screen cinema halls in Maharashtra will go on a one week strike from March 25 to demand the reduction or abolishment of entertainment tax.
"Yes, we are going on a strike because we want to protest against the huge entertainment tax that we pay. We want it to get abolished or at least reduced. We have sent the government many letters requesting the same, but the government has not paid any heed," RV Vidhani, president of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors` Association, told a news agency.
"We are paying 45 percent entertainment tax. In many states, it has been abolished, but in Maharashtra we still have to pay it. Multiplexes also get concession but not the single screens. It has become very difficult for us to survive and the government should understand that," he added.
Earlier, there were around 1,080 single screen cinema halls in Maharashtra but only 650 are left.
IANS
