New Delhi: A film industry delegation, led by Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi, on July 15 met Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and sought Central intervention to curb video piracy, which they said caused losses in excess of Rs 1,700 crore to the industry and the government exchequer.

During the half-an-hour long meeting, Azmi, along with Smita Thackeray, president of Indian Motion Pictures and Producers' Association and Chander Lall, All India Counsel for Motion Picture Association of America, demanded among other things creation of special task force and allocation of special funds in all states to check video piracy.

Azmi urged Advani to direct all states to ensure stricter implementation of the Copyright Act and order a detailed investigation into the menace.

Azmi specifically named two video compact disc units in Haryana and Rajasthan, which she alleged were manufacturing pirated discs on a very large-scale.

Smita Thackeray, daughter-in-law of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, said that Advani gave a "positive response" and assured the delegation that the matter would be taken up "very seriously".

PTI