After graft allegations, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur seeks greater transparency in CBFC

Union Minister Anurag Thakur has sought an action taken report on the matter by October 16.

Taking serious note of corruption allegations in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur directed officials on Friday to swiftly implement measures to enhance transparency and accountability in the administration of the board.

A senior official said Thakur directed Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra to ensure maximum utilisation of technology and the rolling out of a faceless system on the lines of the Income Tax Office for slotting of films to be scheduled for screening for certification officials. The action came in the wake of allegations by Tamil actor Vishal, who claimed that he had to pay Rs 6.5 lakh to the CBFC’s Mumbai office for the screening and certification of the Hindi version of his film "Mark Antony".

The official said Thakur wants the CBFC to speed up creating a transparent mechanism for faster certification of films in urgent cases and further strengthen the oversight measures. The minister has sought an action taken report on the matter by October 16. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting sent an official to Mumbai to conduct an inquiry into the matter soon after Vishal made the allegations on social media.

Vishal’s sci-fi film "Mark Antony", directed by Adhik Ravichandran, was released in Hindi on Thursday. The movie also features S J Suryah, Ritu Varma, Sunil, Selvaraghavan and Abhinaya. In a statement, the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) expressed concern over the allegations made against CBFC officials and demanded a CBI enquiry in the matter.