Utilisation of funds for film sector by Govt decline in FY'11

NEW DELHI: The utilisation of funds in the film sector by the Government in 2011-12 is Rs 1.25 billion as against the budget estimates of Rs 1.63 billion and revised estimates of Rs 1.39 billion.

This is despite the fact that the utilisation of funds had jumped above the budget and revised estimates in just one year ? 2010-11 ? when an estimated Rs 1.02 billion was spent as against the allocation of Rs 880 million and revised estimates of Rs 968.2 million.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that this was attributable to the coverage of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010.

The actual expenditure for the other years of the plan as against the budget estimate (BE) and revised estimates (RE) was: 2007-08 ? Rs 298.7 million (BE Rs 419.8 million and RE Rs 300 million); 2008-09 ? Rs 369.2 million (BE Rs 670 million and RE Rs 500.6 million); and 2009-10 ? Rs 628.4 million (BE Rs 600 million and RE Rs 668.4 million).

The proposed outlay for the 11th Plan rose from Rs 1.28 billion in 2007-08 to Rs 3.45 billion in 2011-12. The proposed outlay for the other years was: 2008-09 ? Rs 971.4 million; 2009-10 ? Rs 1.2 billion, and 2010-11 ? Rs 2.28 billion.

The revenue in the film sector for 2010-11 was Rs 462.1 million against a capital expenditure of Rs 224.7 million.

The total budget allocation for the film sector in the 11th Plan is Rs 4.20 billion out of a total Rs 36.86 billion, thus amounting to 11.4 per cent of the total budget allocation of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Ministry sources admitted that Indian cinema had not attained as much acclaim in the past few decades as it had enjoyed up to the 1970s or even in the 1980s.

Taking note of this, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology said ?a concerted effort should be made during the 12th Plan to ensure that promotion of Indian cinema abroad is carried out in a more structured and vociferous manner.?

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