One-month deadline ends: No respite from exorbitant food prices at Chandigarh multiplexes - Hindustan Times
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One-month deadline ends: No respite from exorbitant food prices at Chandigarh multiplexes

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | ByRajanbir Singh, Chandigarh
Jun 09, 2018 04:04 PM IST

The recommendations included reducing the inflated prices, allowing senior citizens and infants to take food inside with them and keeping products of local companies like Verka for retail.

The task of making the food inside multiplexes more affordable for moviegoers in Chandigarh seems to have suffered a setback as no meeting has been called to deliberate on the matter of exorbitant prices of food at cinema halls.

Chandigarh authorities are following in the footsteps of Mumbai, where the Bombay high court had observed that cinema owners should either impose a complete ban on food inside multiplexes or have no restrictions at all.(Representative image)
Chandigarh authorities are following in the footsteps of Mumbai, where the Bombay high court had observed that cinema owners should either impose a complete ban on food inside multiplexes or have no restrictions at all.(Representative image)

As reported on May 1, a 30-day period had been given to the multiplex owners to implement the recommendations of the district consumer protection council (DCPC). The recommendations included reducing the inflated prices, allowing senior citizens and infants to take food inside with them and keeping products of local companies like Verka for retail.

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However, even after the one-month deadline is long over, no meeting has been called yet.

“Chandigarh deputy commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi, who is to chair the meeting, is yet to call it. Without the meeting, no action can be taken regarding these issues,” said RK Kaplash, a member of DCPC.

“We have tried reaching out to Joshi, but he is yet to give us a concrete response,” he said. Whether cinema owners have submitted the reports of compliance with the DCPC recommendations is yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Ajit Balaji Joshi said the meeting had been delayed, but will be held within this month. “I remain committed to people and I will certainly look out for the interests of the common man,” said Joshi, talking about how much of a price cut is actually expected to come out of these meetings.

However, Joshi refused to comment on whether food items inside cinemas will be sold at MRP or exorbitant prices, saying that deliberations are yet to take place with all the stakeholders involved.

Chandigarh authorities are following in the footsteps of Mumbai, where the Bombay high court had observed that cinema owners should either impose a complete ban on food inside multiplexes or have no restrictions at all. “They cannot compel viewers to buy food articles at exorbitant prices,” the court had observed.

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