BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ruled out any possibility of privatisation of the State-owned Kalinga Studios Limited, a subsidiary of the Orissa Film Development Corporation (OFDC). He has further assured the Oriya film industry to provide proper governmental patronage for its growth and development.

Inaugurating the state-of-the-art digital recording studio on the studios complex near the historic Khandagiri hills here, Mr. Patnaik lauded the collaborative efforts of the Chennai-based famous Prasad Film Laboratories and the OFDC in setting up this sophisticated system. The upgradation of facilities would go a long way in gaining self-sufficiency for the film industry in the State, he hoped.

Addressing the gathering of the industry fraternity and OFDC officials, the Chief Minister further assured that the Government would explore all possibilities to revitalise the film industry that got a devastating setback following the 1999 Orissa super cyclone.

Industries Minister B. B. Harichandan and Minister for Steel and Mines Padmanav Behera, who also addressed, made similar promises of governmental help to bail out the studios from severe resource crunch.

`Best of its kind'

Prasad Lab founder Ramesh Prasad, who was also present, felt that the studio that has reputation as the best of its kind in eastern India, has now assumed self-sufficiency with the installation of the sophisticated system.

OFDC chairperson Sitakant Mishra chaired the meeting.

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