G.O. Ms. No. 47,Home (General - A) Dept dated : Mar 10 2006

Subject :Cinemas - Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation Rules, 1970 - Providing Ticket Booking by online booking system in the State - Amendment -Orders - Notified.

ORDERS

Certain proposals are received for establishment of on-line cinema ticket booking system for Cinema halls in the cities and towns of the State. This facility is available in the State of Maharashtra. The project envisages for an innovative online ticket booking system, where the audience or moviegoers can book tickets of their choice of movie at the select theatres through telephone multipoint locations and internet or changing technologies and other counters like kiosks (manned or unmanned). The system will facilitate hassle free ticket booking and cinema viewing. The project is also likely to provide employment. The system will function by levying service charge for booking of tickets online, which will generate considerable Government revenue as Service Taxes.

In this regard, Government after careful examination of the matter considered to issue necessary license stipulating certain terms and conditions for its operation, viz, fixing quota of tickets for booking online, prescribing fee for issue of on-line license and to levy the service charge etc. But it is observed that the existing provisions of Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1970 are not adequate to implement the proposed scheme. Hence it is provided to bring out necessary amendments to the said Rules.

Accordingly, the following draft notification will be published in the extraordinary issue of the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, dated 10-03-2006.

NOTIFICATION

In exercise of powers conferred by section 6 and sub-section (1) of section 11 of the Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1955 (Act 4 of 1955), the Governor of Andhra Pradesh hereby makes the following amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation) Rules 1970 issued in G.O.Ms.No.1273, Home (Endowments-II) Department, dated 14th August, 1970 and published in Part-II of the Andhra Pradesh Gazette dated the 27th August, 1970 was amended from time to time.

AMENDMENTS

In the said Rules:-

(1) In rule 2, after clause (r), the following clauses shall be inserted, namely:-

(s) "Cinematography licensee" means a person who obtains license for cinematography exhibition under sub-rule (2) of rule 11-B of the Rules.

(t) "On-line licensee" means a person who obtained license for booking tickets under on-line system under Rule 17-A of the Rules.

(2) In rule11-A, after clause (e), the following clause shall be added :-

"(f) A declaration by the applicant for grant of cinema license to the effect that the person/firm has completed all arrangements to provide a booking office at licensed premises to those persons, who have obtained on-line license to sell tickets through telephone multi point locations and internet or emerging technologies and other counters, kiosks (manned or unmanned)

(3) After rule 11-B, the following rules shall be added, namely :-

"11-C. Tickets etc. should be sold only at licensed booking office :-

(1) The person in whose favour "on-line" license has been granted under the Rule 17-A shall sell tickets only at permitted licensed booking offices through telephone multi point locations and internet or emerging technologies and other counters, kiosks (manned or unmanned), except in last class of admission for which booking shall be in theatre premises only. The exemption applicable to the last class shall not be reckoned in the case where there is only single class in the theatre:

Provided that there shall not be any restrictions on the number of locations or medium through which the on-line tickets can be sold.

Provided further that atleast 50% of the tickets shall be reserved for sale by the cinema licensee in the licensed booking office at the cinema theatre in the current counters:

(2) There shall not be any change in the location of the licensed booking office, except with the previous permission in writing of the licensing authority:

(3) The division of tickets that are to be sold by the "Cinematography license and on-line licensee" shall be made with equal comfort and convenience to the cline goers.

11-D Tickets, etc., not to be sold earlier than seven days.

The "on-line licensee" shall not sell, keep, offer or expose for sale any ticket or pass or any other evidence of admission to any cinema earlier than seven days before the date of the show to which such ticket, pass or other evidence of admission relates.

11-E Price and hours of sale to be notified on Board.

The licensee shall cause to be affixed a display in conspious manner in the cinema premises or at multi point locations, counters, kiosks (manned or unmanned), or on the internet or at the booking office a price list on a board showing the various rates charged for tickets of different classes which are kept, offered or exposed by him for sale and also the hours of business during which such sale will be effected and no sale shall affected except during the hours notified.

11-F Price to be printed on tickets etc.

Every licensee shall print or cause to be printed on the face of every ticket or other evidence of the right of admission to be sold or kept, offered or exposed for sale the price charged therefore Entertainment Tax, if any, and he shall not at any time charges for any such ticket, pass or evidence right of admission a price in excess to that printed thereon:

Provided that for multi point or internet sale or booking sale, counter of kiosks, it is not mandatory to pre-print the price of ticket but the price will be printed/affixed stamp on every ticket sold. The ticket sold through such counter will display price charged, entertainment tax and service charge and other taxes, if any, and shall not charge in excess of the price printed/affixed stamp thereon.

11-G Records to be maintained and to be subject to inspection.

Every license shall at all times, keep and maintain full and accurate sets of records showing the sale of tickets, their rates and produced on demand for inspection by the licensing authority or any officer authorized by him, stocks of tickets and registers of accounts an computerized tickets and computerized accounts; if any;

(4) In Rule-2A after clause (b), the following clause shall be added:-

"(i) Every application for renewal of cinema license shall be accompanied by the declaration to the effect that he has completed all arrangements to provide a booking office at licensed premises to those person, who have obtained permission to sell tickets through telephone multipoint locations and internet or emerging technologies and other counters, kiosks (manned or unmanned)".

(ii) The teatre licensee who has already obtained cinematography license and which is in force by the date of issue of this amendment, shall also comply the provision of sub-clause (i) with in 30 days, failing which the renewal of license granted shall be suspended.

(5) In sub-rule6 of Rule 16, after clause (h) the following clause shall be inserted namely,

(1) / Application fee / Rs.100/- (one hundred)
(2) / Licence fee / Rs.5,000/- per annum per District
(Rupees five thousand only)

The fee shall be paid into a Government Treasury to the credit of the Government to the Head of account License fee under the Andhra Pradesh Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1970"0070-other Administrative Service, 60-other Services, MH 800-other Receipts SH 20 - Fees collected for issue of licenses to cinemas.

(6) After Rule 17, the following rule "17-A" shall be inserted. Namely:

"17A. Not withstanding anything contained in the Rules, the Officer authorized by the Government for grant of cinema license shall be authorized for issue of on-line license to any person/agency to book not exceeding 50% of the total online tickets through telephone of multipoint locations and internet or emerging technologies and other counters, kiosks (manned or unmanned) through-out the State or in any part thereof, on such terms and conditions and subject to such restrictions as may be determined by the Government from time to time in this behalf".

(By order and in the name of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh)