Ease of film making, up gradation of existing studios has to be pursued rigorously: Dr. Jitendra

Film production can have last impact on travel destinations: Reddy

STATE TIMES NEWS

SRINAGAR: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and the Development of the North Eastern Region, G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday addressed the side event on the theme ”Promoting Incredible India through Film Tourism’ on the sidelines of 3rd Tourism Working Group Meeting.

It’s China’s loss, not India’s: Dr Jitendra
Srinagar: China not attending the G20 meeting in Srinagar does not make any difference and it is their loss, not India’s, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.
Delegates of all G20 countries, barring China, arrived in Srinagar on Monday to attend the third G20 tourism working group meeting.
“That (China not attending the meeting) does not make any difference. China not coming is China’s loss, not India’s,” Singh told PTI on the sidelines of the G20 meet here.
Asked if Beijing’s abstention was linked to the eastern Ladakh border standoff, Singh said the Ministry of External Affairs will take a call on that. On holding the G20 event in Kashmir, Singh said different venues will give an idea to the delegates about the places they visit.
“We are not a small, homogeneous nation like some countries in Europe. We are a diverse country,” the Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office added.
Asked about Pakistani propaganda on Kashmir, the minister said the common people have moved on.
“What is most important is that the common man has moved on. If you talked to a man on streets in Srinagar, he may not talk freely. But with decisive action against terror, the veil of fear is being lifted,” he added.
A day earlier, Singh said Kashmir has undergone a change and “common people on the streets of Srinagar want to move on. They have lost two generations (due to militancy).”

The side event was also attended by Secretary Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, Apurva Chandra.
The side event on Tourism was aimed at furthering the scope of the film tourism sector and highlighting all the aspects of Incredible India.
During the event, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, India has no dearth of talent having the century old film legacy with leading names of Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray who have been acknowledged for their art work despite no avenues and facilities, Dr. Singh added.

J&K part of India, Pakistan has no right to talk about it: Reddy
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India, and Pakistan has no right to talk about it and should rather pay attention towards its own people, Union Tourism Minister G K Reddy said here on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here, Reddy said Pakistan was battling a crisis and should focus on its own plight.
“Whatever we do is for the benefit of our people. Who is Pakistan to say anything? What right does it have? J-K has been a part of India since Independence. This is our land, these are our people, and thousands of people have sacrificed their lives for it. Who is Pakistan to say anything,” the Union asked.
Pakistan should pay attention to itself and do something for the betterment of its people. “Provide them employment, food… Why are you talking about us? You have no right. Pakistan is battling a crisis, people are dying of hunger, they do not get rice or gas, so it should focus there,” Reddy said.
He asserted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were happy. The Centre was doing everything for them and would continue to do so in the future as well, he added.
“There is no need to give importance to what Pakistan says. Pakistan is finished. We do not have to think about Pakistan. We have to think about the people of J-K,” the minister said.
Talking about the Centre’s initiatives on tourism, Reddy said India will hold a tourism summit to discuss the investments in popular tourist states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“We have to project India as the number-one destination globally. Private investment is necessary and without it, a huge country like India with such a huge population and lakhs of destinations cannot increase tourism,” he said.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government wants people from across the world to come and invest in tourist destinations to make them world-class, the minister said.
Referring to the ongoing G20 meeting here, Reddy said such meetings would take place in the capitals of all states. He said 250 meetings will take place in 56 cities under the presidentship of India.
“It was decided to organise this meeting in Srinagar, which is a historic city. However, some precautions had to be taken because it is after so many years that such an event is taking place here. J-K has seen many incidents, there were different problems in J-K, but now, the atmosphere is great here.
“People want development in J-K, they want infrastructure, employment generation at par with the rest of India. That is what the common people of J-K hope and expect. That is why we are taking J-K on the path of progress under the vision of PM Modi,” Reddy said.
He said the meeting will deliberate on the steps to be taken in order to double tourism’s contribution to Jammu and Kashmir’s GDP.
He also expressed gratitude to the people and the government of Jammu and Kashmir for supporting the meeting. “In the times to come, Srinagar will become the number-one destination for tourists not only from India but from across the world and we will work towards that along with the people of J-K,” he added.
On PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks that the BJP has hijacked the G20 meeting, Reddy said some opposition parties did not want peace in the Union territory.
“Today, developmental works are happening at a faster pace for the first time since Independence. So, I appeal to opposition parties for support, and if you cannot support, then sit silently at home and do not become a hurdle,” he added.
The Union minister further said no one can separate Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India, and accused the opposition parties of insulting the people of the UT. “We will together take J-K on the path of development. You should not insult J-K or its people. They (opposition parties) want law-and-order problems here, terror problems, hartals, people involved in AK47 and RDX. They do not want peace,” he claimed.
The government’s priority is peace and it will work with zero-tolerance on the issue of terrorism, Reddy added.

Dr. Singh hoped that the business community will help in scaling up the efforts already taken by the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of I&B.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, ease of film making and up gradation of the existing studious has to be pursued rigorously to support the film industry. Liberalisation of state regulations has to be taken up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to encourage film making throughout India, Dr. Singh added.
During the event, G. Kishan Reddy said, tourism has the greatest ability to generate overall employment especially among the vulnerable communities. Film production can have a last impact on travel destinations as the cinematic exposure to a destination transforms the place into a tourist destination, Reddy added.
Reddy impressed upon the states and UTs to have formal polices for the promotion of film tourism. Wherever there is an existing policy, the same may be strengthened to pave way for film production, Reddy added.
Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Apurva Chandra in his detailed session on ‘Facilitating Film Tourism in India through Film Facilitation’ said, India’s film sector has very much to offer to the world having skilled manpower, visualisation and sound effects.
The culture and heritage of India provides an enabling environment to the world to shot the best films here, Sh. Chandra added.
To provide an enabling environment to the film industry, Film Facilitation Office at NFDC with proactive nodal officers has been set up as a single window mechanism to enable and expedite the issuance of film visas to international cast and crew.
Chandra also highlighted India as a hub of animation, visual effects and gaming. A number of noted master pieces, the big budget films have been produced in India with lesser production costs which is a magnet of attraction to the film makers, he added. Various important sessions of the side event on Tourism deliberated upon how to leverage the power of Film Tourism to promote destinations. The sessions provided an opportunity to the States/ UTs to share their policies and best practices which helped them develop film tourism.
The event also provided opportunity to the Industry Stakeholders to give their suggestions and feedback on the factors that will encourage filmmakers to shoot in various locations in the country.