Television academy to come up in West Bengal: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a TV academy would come in the South 24 Parganas district within the next one year.

Work for the tele academy complex has started at Baruipur in the southern outskirts of the city, she said at a government function to give away television programme awards.

"To give more support to the television industry, we are building the tele academy (complex) at Baruipur and we hope it will be completed in a year," Banerjee told the audience consisting of members from the small screen industry including production houses.

The CM said the government was raising the mediclaim for television artistes and technicians from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh annually.

Banerjee asked the Principal Secretary of Information and Cultural Affairs, who was present, to check if the mediclaim policy be brought under the cover of 'Swasthya Sathi' project to enable a TV artiste and technician get a total of Rs 5 lakh as treatment cost.

Awards were handed over by the chief minister in various categories.

PTI