Govt simplifies licensing procedure for theatrical performance

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) With a view to encouraging cultural activities in the capital city, the government has simplified licensing procedure for staging a theatrical performance on any licensed premises in Delhi.

This has been done by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture.

According to the simplified procedure, an organizer now proposing to hold a cultural show in any of the LICENSED PREMISES in Delhi has to submit only a few documents to the Additional Commissioner of Police (Licensing).

The documents to be submitted are : duly filled application form, prescribed application for ticketing licence (if the show is ticketed), prescribed affidavit, confirmed booking slip from the management of the Auditorium or Hall.

An official release said here today that such performances in a licensed premises will no longer need NOCs by District police, traffic police, fire department and electrical inspector and clearance from Entertainment Tax Officer.

The licensing authority that is Delhi Police itself will serve as the center for dissemination of relevant information to the above authorities.

Till now, for any theatrical performance in a licensed premises as many as 5 clearances from different Authorities were required to be submitted before clearance of Delhi Police could be obtained.

''Such restrictions were having an impact on cultural activities in Delhi. Now with the new procedure simplification it has become a single window clearance for theatrical performances in licensed premises,'' an official release said here today.

The Union Ministry of Culture has also urged the Union Home Ministry to explore the possibility of a single window clearance for theatrical performances on unlicensed premises also, it said.

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