Delhi’s film policy in final stages, says CM

NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the state government is in the advanced stages of drafting a film policy that is meant to give a fillip to the entertainment industry, which is reeling under the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The policy, he said, will soon be approved by the Delhi cabinet.

“The film policy is in the advanced stages, and soon, it will get cabinet clearance. We have studied the film policy of several states and ours will be the most progressive (policy). It will give a boost to the entertainment sector,” said Kejriwal on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday. He further said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the livelihood of a large number of people associated with the entertainment industry.”

Earlier this month, Kejriwal chaired a review meeting to study the progress in drafting the policy.

A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said the government is planning to set up a single-window clearance mechanism for issuing shooting permits, apart from developing locations and inventory of equipment and offering a host of incentives to filmmakers.

In Delhi, the civic agencies have policies that charge tariffs to shoot films in public spaces under their jurisdiction but there is no single specific policy with a larger vision. Neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Haryana drafted film policies in 2015 and 2018, respectively.