RAKAP, 25 Jun: Secretary of the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Chanchal Kumar,visited the Film and Television Institute (FTII) site here on Thursday and reviewed the progress ofongoing works and infrastructure development.

He inspected construction activities at the FTII site and assessed the status of the campus infrastructure. Kumar also visited the institute’s water treatment plant.

The secretary held separate meetings with officials of the Itanagar division of the PHED & Water Supply Department and the Yupia division of the Power Department to evaluate work progress and ensure timely completion of pending works.

Representatives from the CPWD and the contractor concerned were also present during the discussions.

While interacting with institute’s officials and staff, Kumar instructed the authorities to be fully prepared to accommodate the new batch of students expected in August. He also interacted with the students and encouraged them to make the most of the institute’s facilities and opportunities.

Encouraging engagement with the local community, he advised the registrar to organise activities involving local people to foster positive synergy between the institute and the surrounding communities.

Kumar also stressed the importance of keeping the campus vibrant through regular film festivals, screenings, cultural interactions, and other creative events, and suggested providing training for officials and staff at reputed institutions.

The secretary suggested holding a videoconference with the three vice-chancellors of FTII Pune, SRFTI Kolkata, and FTII Itanagar for rapid development of the new institute.

Kumar was accompanied by Joint Secretary (Films) of the Union Ministry of Information &,Broadcasting Dr Ajay Nagabhushan MN, Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Lobsang Tsering, and Kolkata-based SRFTI Vice-Chancellor Prof Samiran Dutta during his visit. (DIPRO)