Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar held a video conference on Tuesday with the Association of Film Producers, Cinema Exhibitioners and Film Industry representatives to discuss their demands for financial relief.
The meeting was convened following several representations for financial relief from the industry. Film shoots had come to a grinding halt when the lockdown was announced on March 25 and many big budget films had to stop filming midway. For now, the Minister has not offered any concrete promises of financial support.
The film industry is facing huge losses because the theatres continue to remain shut. According to the Unlock 0.1 guidelines, the Union government has said that theatres will be one of the last places to be opened.
There are over 9,500 screens that were generating nearly ₹30 crores a day by way of sale of tickets alone. The foremost question the representatives asked was when the theatres would be thrown open. Mr. Javedkar told them that the issue would be examined after looking at the status of COVID-19 pandemic in the month of June.
The industry placed many demands before the Minister, including salary subsidy, interest-free loans for three years, exemption on taxes and duties, waiver of minimum demand charges on electricity and electricity at industrial rates and so on, a press note from the Ministry said.
Mr. Javedkar assured the representatives that the issues would be taken up with the Ministries concerned for necessary action.
On restarting production-related activities, the Minister said standard operating procedures were being issued by the government.
