Censor Board chief Leela Samson quits

Leela Samson has resigned as chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), citing interference, coercion and corruption of panel members. "It is absolutely true that I have resigned. (I resigned) Last night by SMS and today by email and hard copy letter," Samson told IANS via an SMS Friday morning. CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It regulates the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952. Samson, an acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer, was appointed its chair in 2011. Talking about the reason of her decision to quit, she said: "Interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers of the organisation who are appointed by the ministry and having to manage an organisation whose Board has not met for over nine months as the ministry had 'no funds' to permit the meeting of members. "The term of all members and the chairperson is over. But, since the new government failed to appoint a new board and chairperson, a few were given extensions and asked to carry on till this procedure was completed. "However, recent cases of interference in the working of the CBFC by the ministry, through an 'additional charge' CEO and corrupt panel members has caused a degradation of those values that the members of this Board of CBFC and chairperson stood for," Samson added.