Work on film city in Bengaluru will start soon: CM B S Yediyurappa
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said that the work on the proposed film city in Bengaluru will start soon as he assured all possible help to the Kannada film industry that is under distress due to the COVID pandemic and related restrictions.
"Most importantly regarding the film city, there were earlier talks over whether it should be set up at Mysuru or Bengaluru. Now the search is on for land in Bengaluru.
It will be finalised at the earliest. The film city will come up in Bengaluru, for which Rs 500 crore has been earmarked in the budget. Work in this regard will start soon," Yediyurappa said.
At the earliest things will be finalised and work will start in this regard, he said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting a delegation from the Kannada film industry, he said they shared their issues and concerns, to which he assured that he would address whatever was possible.
Recently, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan had said that the film city would be established on 150 acres of land at Hessarghatta in the city.
Representatives of the film industry, including star actors Shiva Rajkumar, Yash, Duniya Vijay, Tara Anuradha, Film Chamber president D R Jairaj, among others, met the Chief Minister and submitted a memorandum, along with a charter of demands.
Shiva Rajkumar said all issues concerning the industry, including film chamber, producers section, exhibitors, directors and labour, which include actors, have been shared with the Chief Minister and he promised to look into it and try to resolve whatever was possible at the earliest.
Not wishing to put any figure to the loss faced by the industry due to the pandemic and lockdown, he told reporters that there was no doubt that they have suffered huge losses in the last six month long period.
"We have shared our issues and hope they will be addressed," Rajkumar said.
To a question on whether any request was made on opening theatres, he said it was also discussed.
"But the guidelines have to come from the Centre. we are waiting for it. Opening theatres is not a big thing, how much prepared we are should also be looked into. It all depends on the understanding between exhibitors, producers and distributors. They will have to decide.
From our side, as actors, we are doing our bit by participating in shootings," he added.
The charter of demands submitted to the CM pointed out that the industry was in a difficult time with all activities being shut for the last six months due to the COVID pandemic.
They also sought laying the foundation for the film city at the earliest for which funds were allocated in the budget, repayment of SGST amount to producers, implementation of single window system and creation of a separate cyber cell for the industry to put an end to online piracy.
It also requested the CM not to cut power and water connections to single screen theatres, who have not been able to pay dues because of COVID, and thereby help in reopening of theatres and also recommend to the Centre for exempting or giving concession for single screen theatres from paying SGST.
the charter of demands include concession in power, water tariffs and property tax for studios, bringing workers at single screen theatres under the purview of the labour department, providing houses to seniors in the industry without a house of their own and also fixing ticket prices at multiplexes and bring in necessary rules under the film act.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
