CCCA demands exemption from ent tax for small MP cities

Indore, Feb 7 (PTI) The Central Circuit Cine Association(CCCA) today demanded that a provision be made in the statebudget to exempt cinema halls from entertainment tax in citieshaving a population of one lakh or less.

The cinema halls in the cities, having one lakhpopulation, were exempted from entertainment tax in Rajasthanand Chhattisgarh, CCCA honourary secretary Jitendra Jain toldPTI here.

However, the Madhya Pradesh government isn''t serious overthis issue, he said.

Jain said that 100 cinema halls had been shut down in thelast five years in Madhya Pradesh following financial lossesand film piracy.

If the state government wants to keep the cinema hallsgoing in the small towns, it has to offer tax relief, he saidadding that that they expect some steps to this effect in thebudget to be tabled in the assembly this month.

Jain said that the entertainment and show taxes levied inMadhya Pradesh was much higher than what existed in otherstates.

To press his point, he said that Rs 100 was recoveredfrom the cinema hall owners for a show in Indore which wasmuch higher in comparison to what was realised in Nagpur,Kanpur and Hyderabad.