The state government threatened to attach the properties of eight production houses from the film and television industry for not paying dues amounting to Rs4.93 crore.
The state government threatened to attach the properties of eight production houses from the film and television industry for not paying dues amounting to Rs4.93 crore.
Speaker of the state assembly Dilip Walse Patil criticised cultural affairs minister Sanjay Deotale for government’s failure to recover the dues. He asked the minister why the government was shying away from recovering the dues. He directed the government to recover the dues in one month and initiate action against the errant officials. The speaker remarked that the minister was being misguided by officials in his department.
Deotale later announced that the government will attach the properties of the defaulter production houses. Responding to the demand of opposition benches, he also admitted to provide information about the net worth of the properties.
The issue was raised by MNS MLA Bala Nandgaonkar during the question hour. He said that studios at Film City in Goregaon are provided to the production houses for shooting at a 50% discount. In spite of this, the production houses did not pay the dues. The cultural department was not firm about recovering the dues, he said.
Deotale said that some of the cases are pending in court, and the disputed amount is Rs2.73 crore. “B4U, Cineyug, PDR, SET India Private Limited, Aftab Picture, Sangeeta Films, Masrik Communication, and Montage are the defaulting companies with accumulated dues totalling to Rs4.93 crore. We have streamlined the system after 2005, because of which there have been no dues after that. The dues are prior to 2005,” he said.
Subhash Desai of the Shiv Sena alleged that the dues are not being recovered from the defaulters as they enjoy a cordial relationship with one of the former chief ministers.
When Deotale tried to say that the recovery could not be initiated because the disputes are pending in court, members from the opposition benches raised a strong objection. The speaker said that the recovery be completed in one month.
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