Musical events organisers in Kalyan demand concession on rent as auditoriums are set for reopen

With the auditoriums in Kalyan set to reopen on October 22, organisers of the Devgandharva musical festival, which is organised in December every year, have demanded concession on rent along the lines of those given to theatre and drama

Ahead of the opening of the auditoriums with 50% capacity, organisers of musical events in the city have raised a demand for concession on rent similar to that given to drama and theatre organisers.

Acharya Atre auditorium, Kalyan. There is a growing demand for concession on rent for musical events once auditoriums open to 50% capacity on October 22. (RISHIKESH CHOUDHARY/HT PHOTO)

The auditoriums are set to open on October 22 as per the state government guidelines. The organisers of the renowned Devgandharva musical festival, which is organised in December every year, have placed this demand.

In November 2020, the civic body had announced a concession for the drama and theatre events considering the ongoing pandemic situation. However, musical events were not a part of this concession.

“The civic body, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) should not just consider drama and theatre events for concession but also allow the same for musical events. Not just Devgandharva but other musical events too. There is no clear picture on the concession,” said Prashant Dandekar, representative of Devgandharva festival.

The KDMC decided to reopen its two civic auditoriums on November 26, 2020, with an exemption of 75% discount on its basic rent for those organisers charging a ticket fare ₹300.

Manik Shinde, administrator at Acharya Atre auditorium, Kalyan, said, “The proposal for concession for musical events is yet to be sanctioned by the civic body. There is presently a concession for drama and theatre events only.”