Govt mulling higher stake in NFDC, says minister

NEW DELHI: Government is mulling on raising its equity in the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in an attempt to revive the premier film making institution, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said on Monday.

Replying to questions in Rajya Sabha, she said Rs 20 crore working capital loan was extended to NFDC in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Further, Rs 6.5 crore was given in 2008-09.

"We are thinking of increasing equity (in NFDC)," she said.

Soni said her ministry has written to other ministries and chief ministers to use NFDC facilities for making publicity films.

"We are trying to source work (for NFDC) so that NFDC's talent can be used to its optimum capacity," she said and denied any move to shift its head office from Mumbai to Delhi.

Power: Government is confident of achieving the 78,000 megawatt electricity generation capacity target for the XIth Five Year Plan, Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki said to another question.

"We will be reaching very close to the target," he said adding the Government was in favour of setting up more ultra mega power projects.

According to the report of the Expert Committee the projections for energy requirement under various GDP growth rates and elasticity scenarios range from 521 to 570 million tons of oil equivalent for 2011-12 and 684 to 807 million tons of oil equivalent for 2016-17.