Mumbai, Oct 17: Over 1000 single-screen cinema theatres across Maharashtra downed shutters indefinitely from today to press their demands even as Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde announced that deputy chief minister Chagan Bhujbal will submit a report on the demands within a month. The demands include reduction in service charge, scaling down of entertainment tax from 60 percent to 30 percent and decrease in property tax.

In response to the indefinite bandh, Shinde today convened a meeting of theatre owners and distributors to address the issue but the theatre owners stuck to their demands.

The meeting was attended by Bhujbal, energy minister Dilip Valse Patil, minister of state for revenue, Ram Raje Naik-Nimbalkar, Sheriff Kiran Shantaram, chief secretary Ajit Nimbalkar and additional chief secretary, U K Mukhopadhyay.

Shinde said that Bhujbal will be assisted by the chief secretary, principal secretaries of revenue, home and urban development departments, besides representatives of theatre owners to prepare a report.

"Majority of the demands of the theatre owners pertaining to home department have been accepted by the government," Shinde told representatives of theatre business.

The meeting was also attended by members of Cinematograph Exhibitors Association of India, Mumbai Theatres Association, Mumbai Central Circuit Cine Association, Amravati-Marathwada Theatres Association and Aurangabad-Poona Exhibitors Association.


Bureau Report