Amritsar, February 27
With the coming up of the new pack of multi-screen complexes, popularly known as multiplexes, several single-screen theatre houses in Punjab have adopted a low-pricing formula.

To provide a three-hour entertainment package at an affordable rate, the single-screen theatre owners have reduced the ticket rates by over 50 per cent. Though the rush has not matched the one which prevailed in the 70s or late 80s, yet they believe that the traditional cinema-going trend is catching up.

Parmod Mehra, owner of 37-year-old Sangam Theatre and vice-president of the Cinema Owners Association, termed this new “flexi-pricing” strategy as a confrontation for survival and against the bitter experience some of the property owners had through the hands of big developers.

According to an estimate, five years ago, there were 168 registered single-screen theatres in the state. Barring those, which were transformed into multiplexes, as many as 48 theatres had drawn their curtains down till date, which included Jalandhar (12), Amritsar (5), Hoshiarpur (4), Ludhiana (6), Gurdaspur (2), Patiala (5), Bhatinda (4), Ferozepore (3), Ropar (2) and one each in Barnala, Moga, Faridkot, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala.

Nevertheless, in most of the theatres in Amritsar, the executive box seat is available for a price that was once charged for a lower class seat. Now, ticket for the executive class seat can be bought for Rs 50, balcony for Rs 40, upper and lower stalls for Rs 30 and Rs 20, respectively.

Similarly, in their canteens, a bottle of cold drink, which was available for Rs 18 sometimes back, would now be for Rs 10 only, the vegetable pattie for Rs 8, instead of Rs 15, and potato chips for Rs 10 against earlier price of Rs 15. The cinema owners stated that special staff would be engaged for ensuring free safe drinking water and clean toilets, too.

The same pattern had been adopted in some of the single-screen theatres in Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Patiala, said Mehra.

On the other hand, the multiplex managements, too, justify their rates, which ranges from Rs 140 to Rs 600 for an executive class seat. Devender S. Solanki, Manager, Cinema Operations, Fun Cinema, emphasised on providing the state-of-the-art viewing experience with 160 degrees inclined seats, hygienic and secure environs.

Yet the sobering fact is that most of the multiplexes have been battling consumer reluctance to pay Rs 140 for a ticket, which ends up making a dent of Rs 1,000-1,200 for a family of four for tickets, popcorns and cold drinks.

Moreover, the basic concept of cinema was designed for 70 mm single-screen, whereas majority of the multiplexes run the movie on much shorter screens having dimension between 35 and 40 mm.

To sustain it further, most of the single-screen managements have installed digital movie systems, with pay per show-based pricing, which is economical against the common practice of Virtual Print Fee (VPF) charge. Rajesh Kumar, a distributor and exhibitor at Aanam and Adarsh cinemas in Amritsar said the pictures like “Yamla Pagla Diwana” had seen occupancy of up to 60 per cent in single-screen theatres, whereas at multiplexes, it was not more than 20 per cent.

Amritsar, February 27
“Service to the party and to the people” will be the only criterion to select the candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab.

This was stated by Oscar Fernandes, senior Congress leader and Chairman, Congress’ Central Election Authority (CEA), on the sidelines of a rally organised by the District Congress Committee (Rural), led by Sukhjinder Raj Singh Majithia (Lalli) here.

He was in the city to participate in an awareness programme on “Save girls” and “HIV/AIDS (infection from mother to child)”, organised by the Universal Surbhi Organisation.

“We are confident of winning the coming Assembly elections in the border state. The people have already made their mind to bring the Congress government and the only need is to rejuvenate the people and reach out to the public at the grass-roots level. The party has already initiated steps in this direction,” he claimed while interacting with mediapersons.

Answering the media query, he denied any difference between party leaders and added that every leader has got its sphere to work and serve the people.

Meanwhile, Fernandes, who is also the president of the Forum of Parliamentarians on HIV/AIDS and Chairman of the Human Resource Development Committee, while addressing the gathering at the awareness programme said the world was looking towards India to control the deadly disease. He said India was among the countries having higher number of HIV/AIDS patients and the government was very serious in this regard.

He said the UPA government was concerned about higher percentage of HIV positive children, who got the disease from their mother. “At present there are about 8 per cent children who are HIV positive in the country and our target is to bring it to zero by spreading awareness at the school and college levels,” he said. He urged the NGOs to constitute volunteers in the every school and college and other educational institutes to spread the awareness against the female foeticide and HIV/AIDS.

Gurdaspur, February 27
It was an event held to pay tributes to a prominent Akali stalwart, late Ujagar Singh Sekhwan, father of Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan. However, the politician in Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal sensed an opportunity to hijack the proceedings to showcase the achievements of the SAD-BJP combine and he went on to highlight the development works initiated by the state government during the last four years of its rule.

The Deputy Chief Minister reminded the massive gathering that it was under the SAD-BJP combine’s rule that four new power projects were being established at Talwandi Sabo, Rajpura, Budhlada and Gidderbaha. He was speaking at the 21st death anniversary of Ujagar Singh Sekhwan at the Education Minister’s native village of Sekhwan, 20 km from Gurdaspur, today.

Taking potshots at the UPA government, Sukhbir said the Central Government was in a position to control inflation, but was not interested in doing so because of vested interests of ruling party politicians. He added that the UPA government was becoming a den of corruption and going by number of scams it was involved in, including the 2G and Commonwealth Games rip-offs, the ruling UPA coalition could well be termed as “most corrupt government the country has seen till yet.”

Sukhbir added that it was a dream of his father to open Adarsh schools in all 117 assembly segments of the state where free education would be provided to the poor and needy.

An emotional Sewa Singh Sekhwan said every Akali worker should follow in the footsteps of his father because of his honesty and character.

Qadian MLA Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal lauded the efforts of Ujagar Singh Sekhwan in strengthening the SAD’s party structure during his lifetime. Later, Lodhinangal could be seen acting as a bridge between the rural masses and ministers and other dignitaries seated on the dais.

Prominent among others who were present were Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Cabinet Ministers S.S Sekhwan, S.S Langah, Balbir Singh Bath, Hira Singh Gabria and Ranjit Singh Brahmpura. Gurdaspur MLA G.S Babbehali, PEDA Vice-Chairman Sanjeev Malhan and Chairman, Kahnuwan Market Committee, Jagrup Singh Sekhwan, were also present.

Hoshiarpur, February 27
Santosh Chaudhary, MP from Hoshiarpur, criticised the “non-cooperative” attitude of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) in response to a query regarding the opening of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in the district.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Santosh Chaudhary said after becoming an MP, she came to know that there was no Kendriya Vidyalaya in the district, which was well known for imparting qualitative education in the country. As many as 977 Kendriya Vidyalayas were functioning in the country, of which 38 were in Punjab.

She had raised the issue for the opening of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Parliament on December 4, 2009, and after her persuasion the National Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan, New Delhi, sent the case of opening of new schools to its regional office, Chandigarh, on February 1, 2010.

After preparing the case on March 10, 2010, the regional office wrote to the DC in this regard and instructed him to submit the proposal in the prescribed format.

She said about a year had passed but the DC neither submitted the proposal, nor gave his reply to the letter to the regional office.

When she came to know about the negative attitude of the DC, she toured the area to find out at least 5 acres of land for the opening of the school. She succeeded in locating the required land at Gajh village of Bhunga block of the district.

On her persuasion, sarpanch of Gajh village Santosh Kumari along with other members of the panchayat passed a resolution on February 23, 2011, for giving 8 acres of the shamlat land of the village for the opening of the Kendriya Vidyalaya.

She would now ask the DC to submit the proposal to the regional office at the earliest so that necessary formalities could be completed for the opening of the school.

She said Rs 8 to 10 crore would be spent by the Central Government for constructing the building and other infrastructure.

The regional office had agreed to open the school from the coming academic session for which the required building had to be provided by the district administration on rent, she added.

Amritsar, February 27
More than 5.46 lakh children below the age of five years were administered polio drops in the district during the second phase of Pulse Polio campaign here today.

Dr Chandanjit Singh Kondal, Civil Surgeon, inaugurated the campaign after an ardas organised at the Golden Temple. He said during the campaign the mobile teams would administer polio drops to children in far away places, especially in rural areas. Besides, medical teams were also installed at transit points, including bus stand, railway station, etc.

Phagwara: The SDM, Amarjit Paul, inaugurated the Pulse Polio campaign at the Civil Hospital here today.

Joint Director, Health Services, Dr V.S. Mohi and Senior Medical Officer Dr Rajiv Gupta were also present on the occasion.

In the subdivision, polio drops would be administered to more than 29,000 children.

The reports of the Pulse Polio campaign were also received from Phillaur and Nakodar.