Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday announced the setting up of a regional facilitation office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Chandigarh.

At the closing ceremony of the Chitra Bharati Film Festival in Chandigarh, Thakur said filmmakers of the region would get the facility of screening their films and submission of cuts/modifications, without having to go to either Delhi or Mumbai to get the CBFC certificate for their films. He said the move would further strengthen the Punjabi film industry.

Stating that every year, more than half of the 2,500 films in the world are made in India, the Minister said: “From feature films to documentaries and short films to serials, Indian cinema today is capturing every color of life on its canvas and making local stories global. It therefore does not matter what language a film is being made in, as long as the content is interesting, it will always have takers.”

“I have great faith that the films that are made in the Punjab region also have great potential. Therefore, the government has decided to set up a CBFC facilitation office in Chandigarh so that the process of getting certification becomes easier and the process of film completion becomes faster,” he said.

The Minister also spoke about the initiative being taken by the government to make film halls more accessible for the specially-abled. The government has invited comments from stakeholders to firm up a new guideline in this regard so that people with hearing and visual impairment have the opportunity to enjoy a film like everyone else, he said.

“It has been the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure equal opportunity for all citizens of this country. He is the first person to call them Divyang, instead of Viklang. It is with his express interest that the government has taken it upon itself to release a version of every film which will be suited for those who are differently-abled,” said Thakur.

On the menace of piracy, he said the Centre had recently made necessary changes in the Cinematograph Act. “Today, special nodal officers are being appointed at all our CBFC centers to curb piracy. Twelve nodal officers across the country will receive complaints against piracy and give instructions to remove pirated content on digital platforms. Action will be taken within 48 hours of receiving the complaint. Piracy is a big threat not only to the film industry but to the entire world,” the Minister said.

According to reports, the film industry is incurring a loss of ₹20,000 crore every year due to piracy.