The Film & Television Institute (FTI) coming up at Jollang Rakap in Sangdupota circle of Papum Pare district is one of the most ambitious projects of the state. A branch of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, the FTI is going to be the first of its kind in the entire NE region. The project has been delayed, forcing the FTI to run the institute from a temporary campus in Itanagar. But in a move which might speed up the work, Information & Public Relations (IPR) Minister Bamang Felix on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress of construction of the institute and asked the central public works department (CPWD) to complete it by 31 May, 2022.
The FTI, along with the Hollongi greenfield airport, is targeted to be dedicated to the nation on 15 August, 2022. Now that the IPR minister has issued strict instructions to the CPWD to complete the civil work by 31 March, 2022 and hand over the building to the FTI, it has renewed hope that the institute will start functioning from a permanent campus at the earliest. However, it is unfortunate that without the intervention of top political bosses, be it the chief minister or the ministers concerned, most of the major infrastructure projects in the state do not get completed on time. The delay in completing these projects on time causes massive loss to the nation. The quality of work at the FTI should be strictly checked. It is an institute of national repute and infrastructure works should be of the highest quality.