Assam Cinema Halls Facing Crisis: Owners’ Association

The All Assam Cinema Hall Owners' Association on Friday said that the condition of the employees of cinema halls are in a crisis and as many as 12 halls in the state are now in a deplorable condition.

Addressing a press conference, the owners association said that we have fed the employees for 10 months during the COVID-19 lockdown period but now we have given up. "We cannot pay the employees as the halls were completely closed during the lockdown. We have fed hime from our own but now we can't," said the association.

The hall owners' association urged the Chief Minister to save the halls of Assam. "Four halls in the city have been shut down and 12 in the state are in a bad condition. We will also meet Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in a day or two so that we can save the halls from closing down," the owners said.

The owners' association also alleged that the APDCL has also looted the cinema hall owners as they charged full electricity bill during the period of lockdown although no electricity has been used as the halls were completely closed.

They further stated that the government's grant in-aid is also not sufficient for the hall owners' as they have to pay crores of rupees in the name of electricity and paying salary to the employees.

The owners' association further requested the government to save the industry.