There’s no such thing as a free lunch (movie included). The Social Justice Department of Delhi Government had prepared an ambitious plan to allow all those above 70 years to watch a movie gratis in any movie theatre of their choice in the city on October 1, International Day of Older Persons.
On Monday, Delhi Government officials turned down the proposal saying the financial liability was monstrous. The idea seemed excellent, its execution feeble at best. Since the Social Justice Department does not have a database of senior citizens in the national Capital, the proposal was rejected by the top brass in the Finance Department.
The Social Justice Department had drawn up a proposal seeking approval to allow septuagenarians to watch a movie at any theatre free of cost on October 1. Top officials of Delhi Government were nonplussed when it came to ascertaining the cost involved in this staggering exercise.
On file, there was no data available about the number of people above the age of 70. If the proposal was given the go-ahead, who would ascertain the actual number of visitors to each theatre in such a sprawling metropolis. If all the four or five shows at multiplexes were asked to allow the elderly to watch movies for free, the data for the total number of visitors could be fudged by cineplex owners. Once the figure is exaggerated, this could incur liability on the department concerned. Sensing this, officials decided to tread cautiously and abandoned the basic premise.Now the Social Welfare Department has the option to arrange a screening at old-age homes, expenses borne by the department itself.