AP government releases GO. 142 over the sale of movie tickets, assigns responsibility of APFDC

The AP government took another crucial decision over the movie tickets issue and released GO 142. According to GO, movie ticket sales will go to the government, which handed over the responsibility of selling movie tickets online to APFDC. This online ticketing system will be available soon. The government will set up a special system similar to IRCTC for the sale of movie tickets.

The government on April 8 has issued GO number 35 to control movie ticket prices. The theater owners have approached the High Court challenging the order to which Single Judge Bench, which conducted the hearing, allowed the petitioners to decide the ticket prices in the same manner as before. The government has challenged the single judge's orders in a division bench. A bench comprising Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice M Satyanarayana Murthy heard the case.

The lawyers for the government have argued that raising ticket prices at will is a burden on the common man while the theater owners argue that government interference in the movie business is inappropriate. After hearing the arguments of both parties, the High Court issued key directions stating that the Joint Collector will decide on the prices of movie tickets. Theater owners were told to put forward hike proposals to JC and asked the government should set up a committee on ticket prices.