ITANAGAR, 19 May: MoS for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism, Suresh Gopi, assured that all possible efforts would be made to expedite the pending works at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) here and strengthen the institute’s infrastructure.

Taking serious note of the inordinate delay in the completion of vital infrastructure related to acting and screenplay departments, the minister directed the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to prioritise the completion of the assets and execute the works on a war footing.

On Tuesday, the minister, accompanied by ministers PD Sona and Dasanglu Pul, Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering, and Information and Public Relations Director of Gijum Tali, visited the institute to the assess the infrastructural gaps and pending works, which would subsequently be taken up with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The minister conducted a detailed review of all the buildings and facilities at the institute and took stock of the progress and challenges affecting timely completion of the infrastructure.

Expressing concern over the delays, the minister said that the students have already suffered and faced difficulties in their curriculum due to the non-completion of vital buildings.

During the inspection, the minister also held detailed discussions with officials of the CPWD and the proprietor of Kenge Construction regarding the status of the ongoing projects.

Sona expressed gratitude to the union minister for undertaking the much-needed visit and personally reviewing the infrastructural requirements of the institute.

Currently, the FTII campus offers three two-year postgraduate m of fine arts programmes in screen acting, screenwriting and documentary cinema.

In 2025, students of the institute had staged protests over the lack of basic amenities and infrastructure, including the unavailability of facilities such as sound studios and CRTs, which had adversely affected their academic curriculum and practical training.

The visit of the union minister provided a major morale boost to the students of the institute, many of whom have been demanding improved infrastructure and timely completion of the pending facilities essential for their academic and professional training. (DIPR)