Nanded District Administration Slaps ₹2.21 Crore Fine On PVR For Entertainment Tax Violation

Nanded: The district administration has slapped a fine of Rs 2 crore on PVR for violating the provision of the Maharashtra Entertainment Tax Act and recovering more fees from the cinema spectators. Nanded’s additional district collector, Pandurang Borgaonkar, on Thursday issued an order to the PVR administration to deposit a fine of Rs 2.21 crore in the government treasury.

PVR Cinema is situated in Treasure Mall in the South Nanded city, and the cinema is run by renowned medical practitioner of the city Dr Manish Katruwar. Under the PVR management, a four-screen multiplex is run in the mall. An inquiry was held in 2016, and it was found that more fees than the fixed fees are recovered from the spectators for watching Marathi films in the multiplex.

The concerned administration was asked to pay Rs 3.53 lakh in entertainment tax with a 10% fine. Later, an additional divisional commissioner upheld the fine, and the concerned administration made an appeal to the state revenue minister. As per the order issued by the revenue minister on March 5, 2020, various hearings were held in this matter before the additional district collector.

During the hearings, several facts came to the fore, and it was found that the multiplex had levied more or less the amount for screening the Hindi and Marathi films on the spectators than the fixed fees. It was found that Rs 4.59 lakh in entertainment tax was evaded on the screening of the Hindi films and Rs 15.54 lakh on the Marathi films. The PVR administration during the screening of the films from July 17, 2015, to May 31, 2016, had incurred the losses to the state government to the tune of Rs 20,13,783, which is the violation of the Maharashtra Entertainment Tax Act section 3. The 10% fine to the tune of Rs 2.21 lakh was fixed on the administration.

The Nanded tehsildar has sent the copy of the order to the manager and director of PVR Inox Ltd and the director of Nanded Treasure Pvt Ltd.