Prasar Bharti's Budget decreased

Despite the financial problems dogging Prasar Bharti, allocation for the public broadcaster was decreased in this year's budget by nearly Rs 273 crore.

While the total grants-in-aid to Prasar Bharti was Rs 1757.14 crore in 2010-11, this year it has been reduced to Rs 1484.01 crore.
   
Funds will, however, be pumped into the public broadcaster through investments which have been increased from Rs 227.48 crore to Rs 379.97 crore.
   
In other areas of the Information and Publicity division, the allocation for films has been increased from Rs 103.10 crore to Rs 137.03 crore.
   
The budget also exempted cinematographic films from excise duty.
   
Presenting the budget, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "the Indian film industry has represented that colour, unexposed jumbo rolls of cinematographic film are not manufactured domestically and have to be imported. I propose to exempt jumbo rolls of 400 feet and 1000 feet from CVD by providing full exemption from excise duty".