NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said Saturday that the appointment of a new chief executive officer for Prasar Bharati - Jawhar Sircar ? would result in expediting all pending issues in the pubcaster, especially those related to employees.

Vacancies in Doordarshan and All India Radio would be filled and efforts will be made to make all stations and those in the border areas functional, Soni said.

"While maintaining the autonomous structure of Prasar Bharati, I want issues related to staff resolved because they have been pending for a very long time," Soni told reporters here.

"We have recently formed recruitment rules after forming a recruitment board. We are now awaiting the clearances from the Department of Personnel and Training. So wherever there are slots vacant, they should be filled urgently," she added.

"More programmes should be generated in local languages and Doordarshan and Akashvani should reflect a picture of the entire country," Soni said.

NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has expressed fears that the entire available reserves of Prasar Bharati would be wiped out if the trend of mounting deficits continues, resulting in immense financial stress.

The Ministry told the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology that "after assessing the non-Plan budgetary support provided by the Government during 2009-10, 2010-11 and projections for the year 2011-12 as also 10 per cent growth in revenue during 2011-12, Prasar Bharati has estimated a deficit to the tune of Rs 8.04 billion for these three years."

According to the Ministry, however, the revenue of Prasar Bharati has not increased according to earlier projections while the cost, particularly under the salary head, has gone beyond the projections.

The Committee wants the Government to bear the gap between the working expenses and the earnings of Prasar Bharati by budgetary support till Prasar Bharati is able to generate the mandated revenue to attain self sufficiency.

At the same time, Prasar Bharati was exhorted by the Committee to take all the required initiatives to increase the revenue. Besides, all the economic measures should be taken to reduce the working expenses of Prasar Bharati.

Since Prasar Bharati is unable to bear 50 per cent of the annual expenses from its Internal Extra Budgetary Resources as recommended by the Group of Ministers, it has now proposed a new funding pattern for re-fixation of Government support to meet its financial obligations. (The GoM had earlier recommended that 50 per cent of the annual operating expenses of Prasar Bharati should be borne by Prasar Bharati from its IEBR and the remaining 50 per cent will be met from non-Plan grants-in-aid from the Government.)

While expressing serious concern over the increasing gaps between the revenue projections and revenue receipts and appreciating that Prasar Bharati is a public service broadcaster and not principally guided by commercial consideration, the Standing Committee said it was "of the firm opinion that its mandate does not restrict it from generating adequate revenue to meet its operational cost."

In fact it noted that in the Outcome Budget 2011-12, there was specific mention that All India Radio can generate revenue through Public Private Participation (PPP) during the next 10 to 15 years through schemes like sharing of Prasar Bharati infrastructure such as towers etc., building and land with private broadcasters, mobile service providers on licence basis; providing value added service such as IVRS and SMS based service to the listeners; rationalization of rate structure of the rental resources; turnkey solutions for establishing 50/100 watt community radio stations to Universities/Colleges/residential schools etc and through Data Audio Channel service.

The Committee said: ?It is inexplicable as to why Prasar Bharati has not been able to implement the above schemes which in their own admission can generate revenue through Public Private Participation for the next 10 to 15 years. The Committee are of the firm opinion that Prasar Bharati by taking the desired initiatives as mentioned in the Outcome Budget as well as by adopting suitable marketing strategies, content improvement and introduction of DTH services can reasonably enhance its revenue.?

The Committee?s examination of budgetary documents has revealed that the revenue receipts of Prasar Bharati have been gradually declining and the gap between the revenue receipts and expenditure has been steeply increasing.

As against the revenue projections of Rs 12.47 billion during 2009-10, the revenue receipts were Rs 11.76 billion and the expenditure was Rs 29.49 billion thus leaving a gap of Rs 17.73 billion.

The revenue projections for 2010-11 were Rs 15.62 billion against which the revenue receipts were Rs 9.69 billion and the expenditure was Rs 25.06 billion.

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati earned total revenues of Rs 6.26 billion until September 2011 during the current fiscal year, of which Rs 4.89 billion and Rs 1.64 billion came from commercial revenues of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) respectively.

Prasar Bharati sources said that a total of Rs 164.6 million came from other resources.

These sources told indiantelevision.com that this showed a steady rise in the revenues over the past four years.

The sources said that the net revenue for the fiscal 2010-11 - subject to reconciliation - was Rs 12.76 billion of which Rs 9.5 billion came from DD and Rs 2.76 billion came from AIR as net commercial revenue. A total of Rs 505.8 million came from other resources.

The revenue in 2009-10 was Rs 11.46 billion, of which the net commercial revenue from DD and AIR was Rs 8.28 billion and Rs 2.16 billion respectively, with Rs 1.02 billion coming from other resources.

The sources added that Prasar Bharati spent an amount of Rs 202.5 million till September this year towards maintenance and renovation of their buildings and installations for both DD and AIR.

Prasar Bharati?s expenses towards this in the past years have been Rs 1.04 billion in 2010-11 on account of the Commonwealth Games, Rs 763.8 million for 2009-10, and Rs 579.1 million in 2008-09. The figures for 2010-11 are subject to reconciliation.

Interestingly, Prasar Bharati itself owed a total amount of Rs 13.05 billion as on 31 March 2011 to various Ministries and Departments on account of Space segment and Spectrum charges, for which waiver has been sought by the Group of Ministers on Prasar Bharati.

While All India Radio owed Rs 2.11 billion, Doordarshan owed Rs 10.94 billion on account of Space segment and Spectrum Charges.

AIR and DD owe Rs 324 million and Rs 4.47 billion as spectrum charges respectively to the WPC Wing of the Department of Telecommunication. Similarly, DD and AIR have to pay Rs 6.47 billion and Rs 1.79 billion as Space Segment charges to the Indian Space Research Organisation. 

NEW DELHI: An ordinance is expected to be promulgated shortly to make changes in the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act 1990 following the recommendations of a Group of Ministers which examined various issues relating to the pubcaster.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has done a comprehensive review of the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act and has recommended certain amendments to the Act, which have been approved by the Law Ministry.

Asked why these amendments could not wait for the winter session of Parliament, Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that the posts of Chief Executive Officer as well as Member (Personnel) were becoming vacant in December and October respectively, and the Government wanted to take new incumbents under new rules. 

The GoM also considered the various recommendations of the High Level Committee on the Commonwealth Games headed by V K Shunglu with regard to the pubcaster.

Acting against the then CEO B S Lalli had proved to be a long process with the Ministry approaching the President through the Prime Minister and the apex court appointing a Judge to probe the charges. The amendments also aim at simplifying this process and by instituting a three member panel comprising the Vice -President, Chairman of the Press Council of India and a nominee of the government, currently responsible for appointments of top officials ? to take action in such cases.

Inefficiency, indiscipline and misbehaviour are also sought to be added as grounds for removal of a CEO, or the DGs of All India Radio and Doordarshan, apart from the permanent members of the Prasar Bharati Board.

The GoM in particular made recommendations regarding the relationship between the Government and Prasar Bharati and the CEO and the Prasar Bharati Board.

Not merely that, but the GoM had also recommended addition of two more permanent members: Member (Technical) and Member (Marketing).

Earlier this year, the GoM also studied the recommendations of a Committee of four joint secretaries on disparity in pay scales of Prasar Bharati employees and also made some recommendations with regard to the waiver of some dues from Prasar Bharati. The Committees for studying the amendments to the Act and the pay scale anomalies had been formed by the GoM headed by P Chidambaram in June last year.

The GoM had also given its recommendations on the Prasar Bharati Board?s proposal that the Government should meet 100 per cent of the expenses on salaries and allowances of the employees and 50 per cent of operating expenses of Prasar Bharati, while the pubcaster will meet the balance 50 per cent of the operating expenses.The existing provision requires Prasar Bharati to generate at least 50 per cent of its operating expenses as commercial revenue.

The long-pending Recruitment Rules for 196 cadres of employees in Prasar Bharati were considered for forwarding to Government. Non-existence of these Rules ever since Prasar Bharati came into being in 1997 was a major reason for the huge backlog in filling up the vacancies and making vital appointments, something which has come under heavy criticism in Parliamentary Committees.

NEW DELHI: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has sought the Government?s response on the petition filed by employees? associations challenging their de-recognition by Prasar Bharati.

A bench comprising Member Judicial Meera Chhibber and Member Administration Dr A K Misra directed the government to reply by 17 October on the plea of the employees for derecognising their unions.

The three petitioners - Association of Radio and TV Engineering Employees (ARTEE), AIR and DD Technical Employees Association, and the Programme Staff Association had approached CAT after Justice S Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court earlier this week said all matters under service rules should first be heard by the Tribunal and only an appeal can come to the Court.

The Associations had last week approached the Delhi High Court challenging the office order of 8 September de-recognising all associations. The Court heard the matter for three days.

The petitioners have alleged that Prasar Bharati had not only de-recognised their associations but also transferred 500-odd employees including 24 office bearers of various associations to different parts across the country.

According to the petitioners, nine associations of employees were formally recognised by the management and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which has been talking to their representatives on various issues.

However, the order of 8 September said no association of employees of the pubcaster is recognised and, therefore, no employee can be given preferential treatment.

It further said all employees are to be treated in a fair and transparent manner and nullified an earlier order issued by Director General of All India Radio on 18 December 2008.

The staff of All India Radio and Doordarshan protested against this move and observed a day-long dharna from 10 am to 5 pm without disrupting work on 21 September.

In addition to the Union of India, the Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Prasar Bharati Chairperson Mrinal Pande, and nominated member and officiating CEO Rajiv Takru have been named as respondents in the petition.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has referred to the Central Administrative Tribunal a petition challenging the decision of Prasar Bharati de-recognising all associations of employees.

The Court said after hearing the matter for three days that all cases under Service Rules should be heard by the Tribunal and should only come to the Court if there is an appeal.

On commencement of the hearing on 23 September, the Court had rejected a plea by counsel for the pubcaster seeking dismissal of the plea.

According to the petitioners, nine associations of employees were formally recognised by the management and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which has been talking to their representatives on various issues.

 
However, an order issued on 8 September said no association of employees of the pubcaster is recognised and, therefore, no employee can be given preferential treatment.

It further said all employees are to be treated in a fair and transparent manner and nullified an earlier order issued by Director General of All India Radio on 18 December 2008.
The staff of All India Radio and Doordarshan protested against this move and observed a day-long dharna from 10 am to 5 pm without disrupting work on 21 September.