Here is some good news for cinema lovers in Andhra Pradesh! The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF) in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada has ordered multiplexes to allow moviegoers to carry their own food and beverages.
The decision comes on the heels of Maharashtra's decision to allow cinema watchers to take outside food to multiplexes in what was seen as a big relief for them.
The order came while the consumer forum was hearing complaints filed by five activists and Consumer Guidance Society of Vijaywada against dual MRPs at multiplexes. The forum has also asked multiplexes to sell all products either at the same rate or just at a slightly higher price than the market price. It also ordered multiplexes to provide free drinking water to moviegoers.
In July, the Maharashtra government had announcd that moviegoers will be able to carry their own food and beverages inside multiplexes from August. It had also directed multiplex owners on keeping the MRP of different products same as that of the products sold outside multiplexes.
While hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of the Bombay High Court had said that multiplexes were forcing families and children to eat junk food instead of healthy food. The bench had also noted that people were not prohibited from taking outside or home-cooked food to any other public places apart from multiplexes. The PIL stated that there was no law prohibiting people from carrying their own food inside multiplexes.
