Tamil Nadu: Minister Kadambur C Raju assures that cinema theater owners' concerns will be addressed soon by CM

MADURAI: Information and publicity minister Kadambur C Raju said that the chief minister would soon come out with a solution over reopening cinemas that are closed for more than six months.
Owners of cinemas and the film fraternity have been urging the government to reopen cinema halls.
Two days ago the Centre came out with standard operating procedures to reopen cinemas from October 15.
Talking to reporters in Tuticorin district on Saturday, the minister said that the SOPs include permitting only 50% audience and no permission for the audience to leave their seats during intervals.
"There are many such restrictions. Theatre owners should accept it,” he said and added that only after discussing the same with the owners they can reopen cinemas.
Raju said that owners of cinema theaters had submitted a representation to him about the hardships they may face due to the guidelines from the centre. The minister said the representation was given to the CM.
“The CM said that the guidelines are from the centre and that he will discuss with officials and soon give a good solution,” he said.
On former Vilathikulam MLA and AIADMK rebel G V Markandayan joining the DMK on Friday, the minister said that he is not bothered where a person joins after he is removed from the party. “If one person leaves, a hundred will join the party, " he said.
“He is not in the party. He was removed from the party during the parliamentary elections (last year) for going against the party regulations and contesting the (Vilathikulam) by-poll as an independent candidate,” he said and added that many from the DMK are joining the AIADMK and not the other way round.