Artistes Rejoice! MCC Slashes Town Hall Rent Rates effective from July 1
Mangaluru: During the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Council meeting held on Thursday, 29 June 2017, Mayor Kavitha Sanil with the approval of Council members has decided to slash the rent and deposit rates for using the Town Hall by more than 50 %. In a major respite to artistes, the rates slashed would come into effect on July 1, 2017 and artistes could book the Town Hall four months in advance.
The rent for using the Town Hall has been reduced considerably for free cultural programmes of local flavour, especially yakshagana, thalamaddale, harikathe and dramas. The rent for free shows of yakshagana, drama, thalamaddale, harikathe, felicitations, Bharatnatyam, magic shows, government functions and cultural programmes has been reduced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5,000, if it is without the use of air-conditioning. The rent for such free shows with air-condition has been reduced from Rs 45,000 to Rs 25,000. The deposit for free shows has been reduced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 5,000 on booking the hall without AC and with AC, it is reduced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 10,000.
The rent for organising musical nites without air-condition facility has been reduced from Rs 30,000 to Rs 10,000. The deposit has been slashed from Rs 45,000 to Rs 5,000. The rent, with air-condition facility, for benefit shows with ticket, has been slashed from Rs 55,000 to Rs 35,000. The rent for organising commercial Yakshagana shows without air-condition has been reduced from Rs 20,000 to Rs 10,000. Addressing the audience, Mayor Kavitha said,” A decision to this effect was taken considering the demands of actors, directors, dance teachers, dancers, Yakshagana artistes, singers and organisers in Mangaluru. The high rent of Town Hall fixed by MCC after its renovation, has deprived artistes from the region to present programmes, but now organizers may book the Town Hall four months in advance”.
But in the meantime, the agenda of reducing the town hall rent led to a heated discussion between corporators of the ruling Congress in the council. Even as members of the opposition BJP welcomed the decision of the mayor for reducing the town hall rent, a section of corporators from the Congress raised objections. Congress corporator Prathiba Kulai, and also the Chairperson of Standing Committee on Taxation, Finance and Appeals, and at least five other councillors from the ruling Congress opposed to Mayor Kavita Sanil, walked out of the council meeting in protest against the Mayor giving in-advance approval for slashing the rates.
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Prathiba said, “The proposal should have been first placed before the council for discussion. The Mayor did not have the powers to give in-advance approval anticipating that the council would abide by her decision. Such decisions should have been sent for approval from the standing committee on tax, appellate and finance. The Mayor’s decision was unilateral and not democratic.”. However, the rest of the council stood by the decision of the Mayor, and approved the new Town Hall rent rates.