Last week, a scheme to gift radio sets to all the 2. 2 million Mahadalit families in Bihar took wing in Masaurhi block, 40 km from Patna. Once the radios are distributed, the government will air exclusive educational and cultural programmes for the backward community on All India Radio in the local dialect. "Three places - Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur - have been selected in the first phase from where this community-based radio will be launched, " says Ravi Parmar, SC/ST welfare department secretary. "We hope to start in July. "

           Expressions of interest have been invited from professional radio programmers, who have both transmission equipment and the know how of producing programme capsules for different regions. Later on - and this is where Chandni and Rashmi's dreams come in - they will be asked to nurture local talent as well.

          Under this Rs 85-crore plan, radio sets will be made available to all Mahadalit families by the end of 2014. Each family will receive a coupon worth Rs 400 after identification and verification and can procure a radio set from "radio fairs" to be held in 534 blocks covering 45, 103 villages.

         "Radio is still a strong medium for villagers. It not only entertains but can also educate them, " says chief minister Nitish Kumar, who conceived of the scheme and announced it last year. Social scientist Shaibal Gupta agrees, saying that radio will "keep them abreast of local, provincial and national developments as well as make them part of the provincial mainstream. "

   

|||||| Thank you for your interest.||||||