Mangaluru: The Mangaluru City Corporation has finally yielded to the long pending demand of the artistes to reduce the rent for Town Hall. The revised rent will be effective from July 1 for free cultural programmes of local flavor, especially Yakshagana, Thalamaddale, Harikathe and dramas.

There will be a rent reduction of 50 percent, i.e, from Rs 10000 to Rs 5000 for free shows of Yakshagana, drama, Thalamaddale, Harikathe, felicitations, Bharatnatyam, magic shows, government functions and cultural programmes without air conditioning facility. With air condition, the rent has been reduced from Rs 45000 to Rs 25000. The deposit for such shows will also go down from Rs 15000 to Rs 5000.

There is a considerable reduction on the rent slabs for benefit shows of Yakshagana, drama, magic shows and all entertainment programmes. The rent for benefit shows has been slashed from Rs 20000 to Rs 10000 for non-A/C and Rs 55,000 to Rs 35,000 for A/C.

Mayor Kavitha Sanil has given the approval in principle for the rent reduction which was ratified by the corporation council on June 29. The decision was taken since the high rent of Town Hall following its renovation had deprived local artistes of a suitable platform to perform, she said adding that the town hall could be booked four months in advance.

However, the decision of reducing the rent had ignited a fracas between the corporators of the ruling Congress in the council. Though the Opposition BJP hailed the decision of the Mayor, the objections were raised by a section of Congress corporators.

Even Tax, Appellate and Finance Standing Committee Chairperson Prathibha Kulai was upset that the decision to reduce the town hall rent was taken without keeping her in loop. She staged a walk out from the council meet asserting that such decisions should be sent for approval from the Standing Committee.