Delhi Govt Notifies New SOP for Cinema Hall Licences
The Delhi government has notified a new standard operating procedure to streamline the issuance, renewal, and inspection of licences required to operate cinema halls and multiplexes across the national capital, officials said on Monday.
Under the new framework, the authority to issue cinematograph licences has been shifted away from the Delhi Police to a newly established District Licensing Committee. The panel will operate under the district administration of the revenue department and will be headed by the deputy commissioner (revenue) or district magistrate, comprising senior officers from the police, fire department, Delhi Jal Board, health department, and the engineering wings of the municipal corporation or Delhi Development Authority.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the revised framework replaces the older mechanism governed by Delhi Police Standing Orders, under which applicants had to independently secure multiple no-objection certificates from several civic and enforcement agencies. She noted that the SOP also aligns with Supreme Court directions stemming from the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy, in which 59 people died.
Under the updated rules, a District Inspection Committee headed by the subdivisional magistrate will carry out joint inspections of cinema premises. The committee will compile a single, geotagged, and e-signed verification report to be uploaded directly to the e-District Delhi portal, replacing separate departmental NOCs.
The government has mandated strict timelines for each stage of the licensing workflow. Initial application scrutiny must be completed within seven working days, followed by an on-site inspection by the inspection committee within 45 days. The licensing committee will then have 30 days to arrive at a final decision.
If the licensing committee fails to make a determination within the 30-day window, the system will automatically generate the licence through the portal, provided the inspection committee has certified full statutory and safety compliance.
The entire procedure, including fee payments, inspection tracking, and the issuance of Form B licences, will be managed online. Additionally, cinema halls will be subject to annual joint inspections, surprise checks, and two mandatory disaster mock drills each year conducted with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and local police.
