Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has realized the need to set up infrastructural facilities to attract the prospective film directors to make Punjab as one of the Television Serial and Film shootings Tourism destination in India. 

The need was felt when Producer Harry Baweja of his recent flick 2050, spoke on Saturday on the occasion of International Conference on Cinematic Tourism organised by the Institute of Technology and Future Management Trends (ITFT), in association with the Chandigarh Tourism and the Centre for Media and Entertainment Studies. 

He said, “We are sitting on a goldmine and like the Arabs were not aware about the importance of oil, same is with the people of Punjab. We are unable to fathom the importance of our heritage”. Reiterating the point, he said that the State has so much to offer to the Film Industry but is unable to attract movie makers as it lacks packaging.

While inaugurating the Conference, Badal said that the State is bestowed with natural scenic beauty that reflects prosperity and affinity of bonds of love among people and it is important to develop tourism industry within the State as the Entertainment and Tourism Industries are interwoven together. Badal therefore strongly urged the Producers and Directors to come forth and discover themselves to the rich Heritage, State has in store for them. 

Inviting the prospective film makers, Badal said that the State Government has waived off the entertainment tax on the film which would ultimately be beneficial for them and would in turn also help the State in employment generation.