J&K has granted 495 film shooting permissions without disbursing subsidies
Official data shows that no money has been released from the Film Development Fund since the policy launched in 2021.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has issued 495 permissions for film shoots across the Union Territory since the 2021 J&K Film Policy began, but no subsidies have been paid out, according to The Tribune.
Information obtained through an RTI application shows that the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) has not spent any money from the Film Development Fund. The department stated that nine applications for subsidies are currently being processed.
The Film Development Fund was created under the Information and Public Relations Department with a proposed five-year outlay of Rs 500 crore. This includes an annual budget of Rs 100 crore from the CAPEX budget to provide incentives and fund filmmaking activities.
The policy requires general applicants to have a minimum production cost of Rs 10 crore and a screening on at least 25 screens. For J&K domiciles, the minimum cost is Rs 50 lakh with a requirement of three screens.
The DIPR confirmed that no subsidy amounts have been distributed as of October this year. The department also noted that no internal or independent audits have been conducted to evaluate the policy's implementation or expenditure so far.