Soni said in an interview last week that she planned to raise the issue at the meeting after having submitted suggestions on the media and entertainment sector to the finance ministry.

“I don't want them (employees) wondering where their next month's salary will come from,“ said Soni. “The 50% grant, which the government gives to Prasar Bharati currently, can continue after we take care of the salaries.“

Currently, Prasar Bharati's annual wage bill for 38,000 employees is approximately `1,600 crore. The corporation earns `1,100 crore a year and receives another `1,500 crore from the government as grant annually, of which `1,000 goes toward salaries.With 3,000 additional posts, which Prasar Bharati needs to fill immediately as they are deemed “critical“, the salary bill will go up by another `150-200 crore.

According to a Prasar Bharati board member, the funds deficit at the broadcaster “hits the employees month after month“. He declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. Employee organizations welcomed the proposal.

“We will be happy if our salaries are underwritten directly by the government,“ said Anil Kumar S., chairman of National Federation of Akashvani and Doordarshan Employees (NFADE). He said Prasar Bharati was not able to pay the salaries on time.

NFADE is an umbrella organization of 21 service associations with a total of 38,000 employees in various disciplines of Akashvani and Doordarshan working at 1,800 stations.

Prasar Bharati's assets --Doordarshan and All India Radio stations, for instance should be the responsibility of the government as no effort has been made to upgrade equipment or maintain studios, the federation chairman said.