Mumbai, May 7 (IANS) The Animal Welfare Board of India has decided to conduct workshops across the country to create awareness amongst animal owners on a new online system to obtain necessary approvals for usage of animals in films, television programs and web content.

The first workshop organised by the Producers Guild of India is scheduled to take place in Mumbai on May 8.

The officials of Animal Welfare Board of India will meet animal owners to explain the revised process to seek pre-shoot permissions for providing animals for filming across platforms, read a statement.

"We are happy to launch the new online approval system which we believe will address industry's concerns on approval delays and transparency," said Neelam Bala, Secretary, Animal Welfare Board of India.

The new portal www.ospar.nic.in is already active and can be accessed by animal owners and producers.

"During these workshops, the team will be explaining the new online system to the animal owners," Bala added.

Kulmeet Makkar, Chief Executive Officer, Producers Guild of India, said: "This is a very significant move and we are grateful to the Animal Welfare Board of India for making the entire process of usage of animals in films, television programs and web productions simpler, faster and transparent.

"Many of the producers faced various kind of bottlenecks and harassment in the past
while seeking permissions for filming with animals. We therefore believe that the online process launched by Animal Welfare Board of India would eliminate unnecessary complexities and also importantly the role of middlemen in seeking permissions."

--IANS sug/rb/pg