Information and Broadcasting Minister Ms Ambika Soni has proposed to waive the rental which the Films Division used to take from every cinema screen of the country for the last 50 years in lieu of “Approved Films” given to cinemas (“Approved Film” means a cinematograph film approved by the Central government: scientific films, films intended for educational purposes, films dealing with news and current events, documentary films or indigenous films, which we usually refer to as Indian News Reel.)
This is a bizarre case of proposed misuse of public treasury. The ministry is planning to give “Approved Films” to commercial cinema halls and multiplexes free, which are now being given to them for a nominal fee of only 1 per cent of the net collection, which even the hon’ble Supreme Court has found reasonable, “looking to the purpose for which such films are shown, the expense incurred also cannot be considered as unreasonable”.
Devendra Khandelwal, Mumbai
