Stung by the strong indictment by Shunglu committee probing alleged financial irregularities in award of broadcasting rights of Commonwealth Games, Prasar Bharati today set up a Special Empowered Committee to address the failures and pinpoint responsibility.

The members of the committee would be Prasar Bharati board Chairperson Mrinal Pande and nominated member Muzaffar Ali, the public broadcaster decided after its board meeting here.

"The committee will take stern steps to address the causes of failures and pinpoint responsibility. Its primary aim will be to restore the morale of the Prasar Bharati employees as also its public image," the public broadcaster said in a release.
The SEC is also allowed to engage outside expertise to assist in coming to a conclusion, it said.

In other decisions taken at the meeting, the PB board formed a special committee to address issues related to financial procedures and accounting systems.

The board directed setting up of a Special Empowered Committee (SEC) with two Board Members as well as one special Nominee of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with knowledge of financial procedures to address these concerns.

The SEC will examine and address the current situation and exercise a wide range of financial powers on behalf of the Board. It would give special attention to timelines established for disposal of cases.

Expressing deep concern over the position of accounts and financial processes in the organisation, it said, it called upon the member (Finance) to follow up and complete all formalities connected with maintenance of accounts and compilation of statements, reports etc., in accordance with the established principles of law, and accepted accounting principles.

Immediate steps were also initiated by the Board for entrusting of qualified firm/firms of chartered accountant with the task of assisting the Prasar Bharati.This activity is to be completed at the earliest and the future course of action will be decided thereafter, the statement said.

In this regard, the Board was also guided by the repeated concerns expressed by various sections within Prasar Bharati, in particular, of the Financial Wing for speedy action.It also noted with concern, that the engineers-in- chief of both Doordarshan and All India Radio brought up serious issues of protracted delays leading to derailment of planned proposal implementation and consequent loss of revenue to Prasar Bharati.
"A variety of bottlenecks were identified and, it was felt that a comprehensive and speedy in-house examination, study and analysis of the various shortcomings in different spheres of the Prasar Bharati was needed," a PB member said.

The work of the five sub-committees set up by the Board in its earlier meeting last month was also reviewed and steps were initiated to de-centralise decision making and link output expectations with the powers and responsibility awarded to Prasar Bharati officials at all level.

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