Rajasthan offers fresh inducements

JAIPUR: A high level meeting was held here, last week, to discuss the issue relating to granting the status of industry to filmdom and encourage film shoots in Rajasthan.

Presiding over the meeting, the secretary, information & public relations, CK Mathew, asked film producers, distributors and cinema owners to prepare a package for providing the status of industry to films and promote the shooting of films in the state so that appropriate action may be taken. He said the attitude of the state government was positive on the issue and it would soon take a decision on the package prepared by them.

Discussions were held on important suggestions put forth at the meeting and the committee decided to forward the recommendation to the state government.

The committee proposed that if 50 per cent of a film was shot in Rajasthan, the state government would be recommended to provide 100 per cent exemption in entertainment tax for the film, so that more films may be shot in the state.

Similarly 25 percent fees will be charged on the existing rates on the shooting of films at the historical monuments and this amount will be utilised for the conservation and maintenance of monuments. A registered society will also be set up to see that the money is utilised for the purpose. Among those present at the meeting were the secretary, tourism, art and culture, Dr Lalit Pawan, special secretary, finance, Dr Govind Sharma and director, industries, Seema Bahuguna. The film industry delegation at the meeting was led by PV Gangadharan, president of the Film Federation of India and Santosh Singh Jain of the Central Circuit Cine Association.