THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will bring in comprehensive legislation to ensure complete protection to all stakeholders in the Malayalam film industry. This was informed by Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian in the assembly on Wednesday.
Raising the issue in the assembly, IUML legislator Manjalamkuzhi Ali asked about the status of the government-constituted committee other than the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
Saji Cherian replied that ICC has been ensured in all film sets and also a special legislation would be brought in to ensure complete protection to the film industry. The minister of cultural affairs also said that currently, the law department is considering the recommendations towards formulating the new Bill.
“In the backdrop of the Justice Hema Committee report, the LDF government is planning to bring in a piece of legislation. The state government is also considering introducing ICCs in all film sets,” said Saji Cherian.
He also said that as per the directive of the High Court to the state government certain pages from the Justice Hema Committee report were removed and released. He was responding to a question raised by IUML legislator N Shamsudheen on the reason behind the delay in releasing the Justice Hema Committee report.
Saji Cherian recalled that after the three-member Justice Hema Committee submitted its report to the chief minister, it was handed over to the secretary of the cultural affairs department.
“The official was given the directive that the report should not be given to anyone and that the Supreme Court’s recommendations should be adhered to. Later, a Right to Information application came up before the state government. The Information Commissioner made a decision that privacy has to be maintained. Later when the High Court intervened, it was decided that certain pages will have to be removed from the report before it is released,” said Saji Cherian.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan reiterated that there had been serious lapses on the part of the LDF government. He alleged that the report was put in cold storage for four-and-a-half years, during which no action was taken against the perpetrators.