Bhopal: April 17:The state cabinet at its meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan here today endorsed a new policy for encouraging construction of new multiplex centres, converting the existing cinema houses to new multiplex centres, construction of new single screen cinema houses and improvement in existing cinema houses. The policy would be applicable to the applications received after April 1,2008.Those centres would be entitled to the facilities for multiplex which have the facility of screening minimum two movies simultaneously, on the construction of which minimum Rs. two crore have been invested and which have a minimum 500 seating capacity. Such centres should have a video arcade, fast food centre, adequate space for games and entertainment of children and sufficient parking space.
On construction of a multiplex by an applicant after fulfilling all the conditions exemption in entertainment would be granted from the date of first screening of a film in any of its cinema houses. The exemption may be 100 percent in the first, second and third year, 75 percent in the fourth year and 50 percent in the fifth year. No electricity duty would be charged for a period of five years from the date of the first screening of a film.
Under the scheme of encouraging construction of new single screen cinema houses, all the new single screen cinema houses being set up in the state would be eligible for exemption in entertainment tax. The single screen cinema houses would have minimum 400 seats. The minimum cost of construction of such cinema houses would be Rs. one crore in the areas under the Municipal Corporations of Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur an Gwalior, Rs. 75 lakh in other Municipal Corporation areas and Rs. 50 lakh at other places.
The cabinet granted sanction for creation of additional posts in the establishment of the Commissioner, Commercial Taxes. Accordingly, one post of Director, four of Deputy Commissioner, 15 of Assistant Commissioner, 52 of Commercial Taxes Officer, 132 of Assistant Commercial Taxes Officer, 198 of Commercial Taxes Inspector and 442 posts of Taxation Assistant have been sanctioned.
The cabinet decided to forward loan proposals of Rs. 1145 crore 90 lakh for the third phase of Madhya Pradesh Road Project to the Asian Development Bank through the central government and to initiate action for preparing detailed project report of the roads selected under it. Construction of 16 roads with a length of 1637 km is proposed in the third phase.