Rent of C C Mehta Auditorium hiked

VADODARA: Holding social, cultural and community programmes at professor C C Mehta Auditorium inside M S University campus have now become a costly affair.
University’s syndicate members have cleared a proposal to increase the rent of the auditorium by 5 % along with the applicable GST.
The proposal was moved by coordinator of the auditorium on the grounds that it has recently undergone renovation and new stage lighting equipment has been purchased for it.
The university was so far charging Rs19,782 per shift, including Rs13,773 as rent apart from technical service charge, other charges and GST. There will be no hike in technical service and other charges.
The auditorium, which has 578 seating capacity, remains booked for an average of 350 to 375 programmes in a year.
“We have also asked the coordinator to work out ways to increase utilization of the auditorium,” a syndicate member told TOI, adding that the rent has been revised after a gap of several years.
C C Mehta auditorium is the only one on the university campus where large-scale programmes can be held.
Private institutes, organizations, banks and trade bodies hire the auditorium for conferences, workshops, debates, dance, drama and social and religious programmes.