Piyush Goyal Announces Single Window Clearance For Indian Filmmakers

While presenting the Interim Budget for 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced that there will be a single window clearances for Indian filmmakers for smooth shooting of films.

"Entertainment industry is a major employment generator. To promote the entertainment industry, there will be single window clearance to ease shooting of films," Mr Goyal said.

"This was earlier available only to foreigners (and) is now going to be made available to Indian filmmakers as well."

Mr Goyal also said that the government will include anti-camcording provisions in the Cinematography Act to control piracy.

Last month, while inaugurating National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai, PM Modi said that film industry has an enormous role in promoting tourism, which has the added benefit of employment generation.

He had mentioned that the Government is working on a single window clearance system for grant of film shooting permissions from multiple authorities to ensure Ease of Filming. A web portal is being created to facilitate such permissions for film completion in a time bound manner.

The minister also announced the widely-anticipated scheme for farmers which would provide direct income support for small farmers. "The government has made a historic plan called the PM Kisan programme. Those small farmers who have less than two acres will get a support of Rs. 6,000," Piyush Goyal said.

"It will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of farmers in three instalments of Rs. 2,000," he said. He announced an allocation of Rs. 75,000 crore for the scheme.

The government also decided to hike the gratuity limit from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh from the next financial year.

(With Inputs from ANI and IANS)