Indefinite strike from March 25, say owners

The cinema owners of Doon have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from March 25 if their demands are not accepted by the authorities. The Dehradun Association of Cinema Owners is up in arms against the Municipal Corporation which has enhanced the show tax from Rs.10 to Rs.400 per day. They feel that this hike is too steep especially in view of the fact that the number of movie goers has dwindled to just a trickle.They also blame rampant video piracy in the region for drastic fall in the number of movie-goers. For the industry to survive in the region, distribution and sale of pirated VCDs must be stopped by the law enforcement agencies, the association members feel.
They claim that even though the entertainment tax has been brought down from 100 to 60 per cent, the benefit to the cinema industry has been marginal. The cinema halls have been unable to meet the tax burden. In the absence of lucrative business, the cinema halls were finding it difficult to pay even the annual license fees amounting to Rs.18,000.
Besides there is mandatory submission of health and power certificates annually and they have to foot electricity bills, all of which have become burdensome for the industry. The Dehradun Association of Cinema Owners has submitted a notice in this regard to the district magistrate. One of their chief concerns is video piracy.