NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu has denied reports of any slump in the entertainment industry because of demonetisation. Naidu said he had seen reports in the media but had not received any representations from any section of the television or film industry to the effect that it had suffered because of the demonetisation.

Addressing an end-of-year press meet, he said that there was no delay in the clearances of registration of multi-system operators and that was being done in accordance with the laid-down procedures, he said answering a question on security clearances being obtained “whenever needed’ for television channels or MSOs.

At the press meet which was largely about demonetisation and the stand of the opposition to it, Naidu said that the country was digitising at a pace that was unexpected. Young people who constituted the majority of the population were taking to mobile modes of payment and encouraging cashless banking. He denied any ‘policy paralysis’ and said digitisation was taking place in every sphere of public life.

Over ten million people had switched over to digital modes of payment in just 20 days after demonetisation. Even media analysts who had predicted negatively will have to admit the transformation and the fact that the present government was a scandal-free government.

Speaking later to indiantelevision.com, Naidu said it was for the MSOs to ensure that subscribers were not forced to buy cheap set-top boxes that did not meet the standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards.