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Cable operators in Madhya Pradesh to pay upto Rs. 1500 per month

The cable operators of Madhya Pradesh will have to pay entertainment fee ranging from Rs. 250/ to Rs. 1500/ per month, according to density of population in their area of operation.

Those areas with a population of 10,000 or less in the cable operator will have nil payment according to Amendment Act passed in M.P. assembly on November 3. The new levy will be imposed from May 1, 2000.

In the absence of commercial tax minister Satyanarain Sharma, Home Minister Nandkumar Patel said, “The cable operators in cities with 10,000 to 50 thousand people will have to pay Rs. 250 per month, in cities with 50 thousand to one lakh population it will be Rs. 500 per month and in those cities which have a population between 1 lakh to 5 lakh it will be Rs.1000 per month. In those cities which have a population between 5 to 10 lakh the cable operators will have to pay Rs.1250 per month and operators in cities of population in excess of 10 lakhs will have to pay Rs. 1500 per month as entertainment fee.” He added that the state Government earns Rs. 24 crores as entertainment tax revenue; the new levy will earn a revenue of Rs. 3 crores per year. The state assembly members, participating in a debate on Amendment Act, called for check on exhibition of obscene films by the cable operators.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Dr. M.P. Verma said, “ This Amendment Act will benefit some cable operators and harm others. The cable operators having large number of connections will benefit but those with lesser number of connections will be losers.”

M .P. G.