We reported the ban of online movie ticketing in Andhra Pradesh yesterday and got to know a very interesting attempt by the state government to monopolize the whole ticketing business. Rama Raju R, CEO of Gap Miners Pvt. Ltd., the company that runs the movie booking site NoMoreQueue informed that Government of Andhra Pradesh had passed an order to allow only one company to sell online tickets for all cinemas. It was also mandated that all cinemas must provide atleast 50% inventory to this company to sell online.
The company that was awarded the 5 year contract was Galaxy Entertainers Pvt. Ltd. owned by a certain N V Ramana Babu. The ministry of corporate affairs’ site says that the company is now dormant. Copy of Govt. Order
We went to court contesting the GO 110, that it amounts to monopolizing the entire business. BookMyShow, NoMoreQ.com, EasyMovies (the pioneer in selling tickets in India through agents) and Film Chamber of commerce are the parties who went to Court. Court stayed the GO and granted the status quo. Lawyers interpreted that as GO 110 superseded GO 47 both are not applicable till the court delivers its verdict.
Based on the court stay order, we have resumed the operations.
Of late, a unscrupulous lawyer started creating the trouble by filing police complaints and cases in courts against online ticketing companies and theatres who open their inventory for online ticketing. As a result a whole set of fresh confusion is created and nobody in the government or police seems to have clarity in this matter and have instructed the theatres not to do online ticket booking
We are yet to know the what is happening in this case if the company has gone dormant. Certainly, something that government is doing sounds unjustified. There was also a regulation for the service charge. The regular service charge for online movie booking is Rs.15 but AP govt. is restricting it to Rs.6.
If you are from the state and wanting to book your tickets online, hop on to KyaZoonga.com as they are still selling the tickets and at a service charge of Rs.15. Why isn’t order applicable to them?
What’s your opinion? Do drop a comment if you know more about the issue.
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