UP govt announces scheme for cinema halls

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a proposal to restart closed cinema halls and upgrade the existing ones in the state.

A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also approved the Integrated Incentive Scheme for encouraging the construction of multiplexes in districts without multiplexes and single-screen cinema halls and upgrading the existing cinema halls, a statement issued here said adding that this scheme will be effective for five years.

State Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said that an integrated incentive scheme is being implemented for the reconstruction/remodelling of closed single cinema halls and operational cinema halls in the state and for the construction of multiplexes, among other steps.

The proposed grant will be given from the SGST deposited in the treasury by the cinema halls/multiplexes, so that there will be no additional expenditure burden on the state government, he said.

The cabinet also decided to give industry status to Information Technology and Information Technology-based services.

Khanna said that the state needs to implement transformational reforms to help the IT/ITES (IT-enabled services) sector grow rapidly.

The aim of these reforms is to grant "industry" status to the IT and ITS sector, he added.

It will help in providing the facility of allotment of land classified under the industrial category in Residential Development Authorities and Industrial Development Authorities to IT/ITES sector units at industrial rates and will facilitate the availability of land to IT/ITES units.