Hyderabad: According to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act 1955, Section 115(40), movie theatres and multiplexes should not collect a parking fee from customers as they are doing at present,
An RTI activist has now filed cases against three theatres in the city for violating the Act and police have registered an FIR in two cases.
On February 18, 2015 Vijay Gopal filed a complaint on the GHMC’s official website about theatres charging for parking. He got no reply and so has now lodged a police complaint against Ramakrishna theatre, Venkatramana theatre and Tarakarama theatre with the Abids and Mahankali police stations.
Two complaints were lodged in 2016 and a third in March 2017. The Abids police station allowed an FIR to be filed, but the Mahankali PS refused to do so because it claimed the theatre is private property.
Vijay Gopal said that the GHMC is shirking its responsibility and not taking a stand on the issue. “I don’t expect the government to take any stand as a lot of people get a piece of the pie. Moreover, the state government is busy doing nothing but personification of their party and colouring everything pink with tax payer’s money. Theatres are just cashing in on the ignorance of citizens. They also take back the receipt they give so there is no proof.”
The police have not been helpful either. “Police need to file cases if citizens approach them instead of acting like the Mahankali Police are doing. Section 418, 420 of IPC is also applicable if someone takes money from me when they are not authorised to do so. Police never make arrests once we report a cognizable offence. Section 420 is a cognizable offence and Abids police is yet to arrest the concerned authorities from Ramakrishna theatre. That is in violation of Supreme Court orders also.”
GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy said, “A new policy and new rules are coming soon to regulate these kinds of parking issues.” He claims that “Though the Act was made, new rules were not made so new rules will be coming soon to solve all these parking issues.”
He said that “Government is also thinking about a new comprehensive parking policy in which this aspect will also be covered. There are already workshops and meetings for this parking policy. We have to work out a perfect formula to solve this issue.”
