Centre asks TN to drop move on 100% occupancy in cinemas

Centre asks TN to drop move on 100% occupancy in cinemas

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 07.01.2021

Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, has in a letter to Tamil Nadu chief secretary K Shanmugham, said that the state government’s order permitting 100% occupancy in theatres and multiplexes dilutes MHA guidelines. The MHA guidelines had allowed only 50% occupancy and that too outside containment zones. States and Union territories shall not dilute guidelines issued under Disaster Management Act in any manner, the letter said.

“We have taken it (the letter from MHA) to the notice of the honourable chief minister,” chief secretary K Shanmugham told TOI on Wednesday. The state government had on Monday allowed 100% occupancy in theatres and multiplexes.

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The Tamil Nadu government had permitted 100% occupancy in theatres and multiplexes with strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), responding to pleas from the film fraternity.

“The chief minister is on election tour. Once he returns to the city, a decision could be taken after discussing the issue with all concerned,” said Tirupur K Subramanian, Tamil Nadu Theatres and Multiplex Owners’ Association president.

The Tamil Nadu government’s order on January 4 cited decreasing Covid-19 positive cases in the state for its move to allow full occupancy and asked theatres to screen short films to make the public aware of Covid norms to be followed.

The relaxation of norms was welcomed by the Tamil film industry and theatre owners, who had earlier appealed to the state to permit 100% occupancy, as the industry has lined up big budget movies such as ‘Master’ and ‘Easwaran’ for release during the Pongal festival. Actor Vijay too had called on chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and made a request on December 27, 2020.

But several others, including health professionals, expressed displeasure and feared the move could trigger a second wave of Covid-19.

While the state health department, the nodal agency for Covid-19 prevention and management, was in the dark about the government’s decision to relax restrictions on occupancy in theatres, members of the state-appointed medical expert committee expressed concerns. Minutes after the announcement, National Institute of Epidemiology deputy director Dr Prabhdeep Kaur, who is also a member of the expert committee, tweeted, “Closed spaces without social distancing are a perfect setting for explosive spread of Covid-19. Request public to avoid such settings.”

Kaur in an interview to TOI said, “Risk of infection multiplies with each risk factor — indoors, poor ventilation, more time spent, crowding, speaking/ shouting and lack of mask — cumulative effect means red zone — highest chance of spread of Covid-19.”

(With inputs from Pushpa Narayan)