A tinsel town in Chandigarh

Though the Chandigarh administration is not immediately giving entertainment tax exemption to Bollywood, it feels the city will be able to attract film makers.

The Chandigarh administration's tourism director, Vivek Atray, said, "We cannot give tax rebate for now, but we will have a single-window system clearance and various incentives from providing logistics support and transport to catering."

Atray was part of the delegation of officials of the Chandigarh administration and the tourism departments of Punjab and Haryana which went to Mumbai for promoting the region as a destination for cinematic tourism.

"The industry wants a single-window clearance facility and tough piracy norms, which we will provide," Atray said. The planned film city, facilitating producers and film units shooting in the region, is being planned in the Sarangpur village, 2 km from Chandigarh.

In the first phase, basic film facilities like equipment and a centralised system of cables will be provided, to be operational in six months.

According to Atray, the administration will highlight private studio facilities at the same time.

Atrey said some film-makers had said that the locations of Chandigarh were so attractive that they are writing scripts of their new films having them in mind.

"Major projects will take two years to come, but the administration has made a beginning," Atray said.