Technician Studio Amendment Bill passed in WB Assembly

The West Bengal Assembly Tuesday passed the Technician Studio Private Limited (Amendment) Bill, 2019, through voice vote after the House rejected a CPI(M) member's demand for sending it to the select committee. The amendment, framed by the information and cultural affairs department headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeks to constitute a new statutory authority for vesting general superintendence, direction, control and management of the affairs of the 84-year-old film studio.

The statutory authority has been named the West Bengal Board for Technicians' Studio. Many famous films in Bengali and other languages had been shot in the studio. It was taken over by the West Bengal government in 1980 when it was facing financial problems.

The amendment was brought also for simplifying the operation of the Technicians' Studio and making provisions for better control of the state government over its affairs. The House rejected CPI(M) member Sujan Chakraborty's demand for sending the amendment bill to the select committee through voting after the Speaker ordered division of votes on the issue.

While 111 members voted against the demand, 35 voted in favour and five abstained..