Surat: Members of the Society for City-Centric Governance (SCCG), a city-based voluntary organization, has urged the municipal zones to carry out safety inspection of all multiplexes for alleged violation of the approved plan and thereby endangering lives of those visiting the theatres.
SCCG president Arpit Shukla has sent written complaints to the heads of all the zonal chiefs, particularly the South West zone, where most of the multiplexes are located, to conduct inspection of the approved plan and the encroachment done by multiplex owners.
Shukla has claimed that most of the multiplexes have set up food counters against the approved place for kitchen and create obstacles in the name of visitors queue in the lobby area. The sitting arrangement for moviegoers is set up in the open lobby area, again creating obstacles in the escape route in case of an emergency.
He also alleged that the main entry gate into the multiplex theatre is kept closed in such a way that only one person can enter at a time and they could be checked for carrying food inside the theatre. Most of the booking office set ups in the multiplexes are the approved usage.
Shukla alleged that irregularities in the multiplexes in the city may lead to an incident like Uphaar cinema in Delhi and the Mumbai restaurant where many people died due to obstacle in the escape routes.
Talking to TOI, Shukla said, “The multiplexes are blatantly flouting the approved plan norms and the civic authorities have kept mum for all these years. People are not allowed to enter the theatre with their personal food items and this is the reason the main entry is blocked so that all visitors can be screened.”
Recently, a Mumbai resident Jainendra Baxi had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court challenging the prohibition on carrying outside food inside movie theatres and multiplexes across the state. The Bombay HC observed that if multiplexes are prohibiting people from bringing outside food, then there should be a total prohibition on eatables inside theatres and multiplexes.
Additional city engineer (civil) A G Khatiwala said, “The building use certification is done as per the prescribed norms. If there are some flaws in the original plan, then it should be inspected and checked by the town planning department.”
