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    I&B Ministry,  Prasar Bharati under fire for not filling vacant posts

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Prasar Bharati Board have come under fire, in the latest Standing Committee report, for failing to fill up key positions lying vacant in its board for close to three years now. Of the stipulated 15 members on board, only six were filled, while key posts like those of the executive member, member (Finance) amongst others have been lying vacant since three years. The Committee has questioned how a “truncated Board” could discharge its responsibilities effectively in meeting the “emerging challenges being faced by the Prasar Bharati” and scathingly added that it is hardly surprising in such a situation that the organisation’s performance has remained “lacklustre” since its formation. The committee has “deplored” the “callous” attitude of the Ministry and recommended prompt measures to fill up the vacant positions. The Ministry on its part has said it has received some recommendations from MPs for filling up positions of part-time members and these are being sent to the Vice-President’s Committee for the Selection Committee’s consideration.

On the Ministry’s revenue generation proposal-to levy a license fee on all television sets as a one-time lump-sum while buying by the customer-the Committee has struck a cautionary note, asking the Ministry to go for wider consultations with stakeholders and detailed examination before taking a decision. The House Committee has also said that other options should also be explored for funding of Prasar Bharti.

Outlining the need at AIR and Doordarshan to improve programme quality, the House Committee said they should assign the job of monitoring programme content and production to more professionally qualified personnel besides strengthening their marketing set-up. While it has emphatically called for Prasar Bharati to fulfil the role of a public broadcaster, it also said there is a need for the Board to become financially self-reliant in the coming years. It has also said that AIR should be converted into a competitive network with complete digitalisation and freedom to run purely commercial FM channels if it so wishes.

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