Union Minister Murugan pledges support for Mizoram's media, film industry

Aizawl, Jun 2 (PTI) Union Minister L Murugan on Tuesday pledged the Centre’s support to promote Mizoram’s media and film industry sector, official sources said.

Murugan, the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, arrived in Aizawl on a two-day official visit to the northeastern state.

Immediately upon his arrival at Lengpui airport, the Union Minister held discussions with the state Information and Public Relations Minister B Lalchhanzova on strengthening the media, film and digital infrastructure sectors before proceeding to Kolasib district for official engagements, the sources said.

During the meeting, Lalchhanzova pitched a series of ambitious proposals aimed at revolutionising the state’s media,

digital infrastructure, and creative economy, it said.

Among the key proposals was the establishment of Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) content creator labs in 200 schools and 20 colleges across the state to equip youth with digital content creation skills and encourage entrepreneurship in emerging creative industries, it said.

Lalchhanzova also sought support for training and capacity-building programmes for Mizo filmmakers through premier institutions such as the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

The state government urged a specialised scheme for developing and renovating existing cinema halls and building new theatre infrastructure in the Northeast, aimed at promoting local-language films, preserving local heritage and generating employment.

Another major proposal presented to Murugan was the extension of Lemchan Film Festival, which was held earlier this year, to a five-day event to provide greater exposure for local talent and promote collaboration within the film industry.

In addition, the state sought financial support for media and development projects under the 10 per cent Gross Budgetary Support earmarked for the North-Eastern region.

Continued institutional assistance was also requested to enable Mizo filmmakers to participate in major national and international film festivals, the sources said.

Responding to the proposals, Murugan assured the state government that the Centre would actively work toward fulfilling the demands.

He also expressed interest in attending a film festival in Mizoram in the future.

After the meeting, the Union Minister left for Kolasib, where he is scheduled to hold review meetings with district officials and visit various project sites on Wednesday. PTI CORR RG