New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Ministry has terminated Nina Lath Gupta’s tenure as MD of the National Film and Television Development Corporation (NFDC) with immediate effect.
The reasons for her termination appear to be different according to different reports. Some suggest that she exceeded her budget for buying advertisements on a Chennai based Private Television Channels.
Industry Sources reveal that NFDC ‘flouted’ norms of Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) and Electronic Media Advertising (EMA). An official directive had asked NFDC to facilitate a comprehensive internal audit some years ago.
According to officials, the audit revealed NFDC did not maintain proper records and there were ‘over payments’. It was also found Central Vigilance Commission guidelines were not followed before tenders were issued.
The ministry probe found an ‘overpayment’ running into lakhs for Sun TV for the release of TV spots under EMA policy. “There are long established procedures and policies followed by DAVP in media planning and monitoring of TV channels which were flouted,”
It is also believed that the government was not happy with the way the NFDC conducted the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa when handed sole responsibility of it in late 2017.The NFDC was entrusted with running the IFFI, but in practice the body’s role was ceremonial. Smaller organizations ran the show, and a public relations disaster followed when selected films “Nude” and “S Durga” were dropped on flimsy grounds.
NFDC mainly receives central funds and various other grants for participating in film festivals and often makes publicity films for government departments. It was constituted under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in 1975 to promote good cinema in the country and involved in film financing, provenduction and distribution.
Gupta was appointed in 2006. In 2007 she launched Film Bazaar, which grew to become South Asia’s biggest film co-production market. It spawned titles including “The Lunchbox,” “Beyond the Known World,” and “TasherDesh.”
