NEW INDIA: Arbitration proceedings by British production house SIS Live for recovery of amounts withheld by Prasar Bharati for breach of the contractual provisions relating to coverage of the Commonwealth Games in 2010 are still continuing.

Prasar Bharati had encashed the bank guarantee amounting to Rs 246 million and withheld a sum of Rs 70.80 million against services provided for Rights Holding Broadcasters.

Prasar Bharati has also withheld a sum of Rs 984 million (40 per cent of the contract value of the contract awarded to SIS Live for Rs 2.46 billion) on account of various disputes.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that the arbitral proceedings are still going on. The arbitration has been invoked by SIS Live under clause 8.2 of the contract with Prasar Bharati.

SIS Live had recently expressed relief recently at the reported move by the Central Bureau of Investigation to seek closure of the investigation against award to it of coverage of the Commonwealth Games.

The High Level V K Shunglu Committee had concluded that SIS Live that were estimated at below Rs One billion, but Prasar Bharati had already paid Rs 1.476 billion up to October 2010.

Interestingly even as the CBI had begun its investigation, the Central Vigilance Officer of Prasar Bharati had also commenced investigations. Following an objection by CBI that these would interfere with the investigating agency?s work, the Ministry directed the CVO to stop investigation on all sixteen issues listed by the Shunglu Committee except one which related to customisation of services, on which the CVO has already submitted a report.

The Ministry had in March last year cleared action in the matter of irregularities of award of contract to SIS Live by then Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Baljit Singh Lalli (who was later suspended on corruption charges in other cases).

It had been stated that the award of broadcasting rights of Commonwealth Games reportedly resulting in loss of Rs 1.35 million. The Shunglu Committee in its report said ?undue benefits? were provided to SIS Live and Zoom Communications.

Lalli along with former Doordarshan Director-General Aruna Sharma were named by the V K Shunglu Committee in the first of its reports to the Commonwealth Games held in the Capital in October 2010.

No sanction was given for prosecution of Sharma in view of an explanation given by her earlier and another detailed note sought from her by the Ministry. It is learnt that she has been asked to submit the note within one week. Sharma had later been reverted to her home state Madhya Pradesh following completion of her term in Doordarshan.

New Delhi: Prasar Bharati, India?s public broadcaster, is putting in place plans to increase its revenues.

Aggressive marketing of advertising slots, putting to use spare infrastructure, bringing about an improvement in content, augmenting DTH services and sharing of towers are among the measures being taken by the broadcaster to bridge the substantial gap between its revenues and expenses, according to sources in the broadcaster.

Prasar Bharati, which operates a group of Doordarshan television channels, has always found its revenues to be much less than its expenses. In 2011-12, its revenues were Rs 14.09 billion, just 48 per cent of its operating cost of Rs 28.90 billion.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting S Jagathrakshakan said Prasar Bharati?s revenue generally constituted 40 to 50 per cent of the annual operating cost.

Prasar Bharati?s revenue in 2010-11 was Rs 13.10 billion, 51 per cent of the operating cost of Rs 25.47 billion. In 2009-10, the revenue was Rs 11.76 billion, 43 per cent of the operating cost of Rs 26.828 billion.

The minister said if the government accepts the recommendations on financial restructuring of Prasar Bharati made by a Group of Ministers, it would help the pubcaster to become financially viable.

The ministry has already prepared a cabinet note to bring about financial restructuring of Prasar Bharati that seeks to ensure that all operating expenses are borne from the broadcaster?s own income.

The note is expected to be taken up by the union cabinet for consideration soon after inter-ministerial discussions on it are over.

The note is based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers Prasar Bharati, which suggested that government non-plan support should be extended for meeting the total expenses on salary and salary-related expenses and augmentation and replacement of capital assets for the five years from 2011-12 to 2015-16.

The GoM had also recommended that accumulated arrears of space segment and spectrum charges up to 31 March 2011 should be waived.

The recommendations of the group of ministers also suggested that all loans extended to the public service broadcaster should be converted into grants-in-aid and interest accrued on the loans should be waived.
 

NEW DELHI: Rajiv Takru, until now Additional Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, has been transferred to the Department of Health and Family Welfare as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser.

The appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment in place of Ravinder Kumar Jain, IAS, on his relinquishing the charge of the post.

Takru, an Indian Administrative Officer from Gujarat Cadre from the 1979 batch, had on 13 October 2010 assumed charge as Additional Secretary in the I&B Ministry in place of Uday Kumar Verma, an IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh in the 1976 batch, who came back to the Ministry early this year as Secretary.

Takru also held charge as CEO in Prasar Bharati when then CEO BS Lalli was suspended on corruption charges, until new CEO Jawahar Sircar tool over earlier this year.

Prior to his appointment in I&B, Takru was Director General of National Institute of Fashion Technology under the Ministry of Textiles.

Takru has served in various capacities at both the Centre and State in various Departments/Ministries such as Defence, Textiles, Finance & Revenue, Commerce, Urban Development and Tourism.

A graduate in mechanical engineering, he also served as Deputy Director at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy, Mussourie during the period 1988- 1992.

NEW DELHI: A Committee is being set up by Prasar Bharati to monitor fast evolving changes in technology and take appropriate action with regard to Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR).

Prasar Bharati chairperson Mrinal Pande told indiantelevision.com that this committee would also study changes in new technologies that were emerging.

In answer to a question, she said the growth of Doordarshan mobile TV would be considered by this Committee.

This would be in addition to the already existing Committee which is going into vision and programme content for DD and AIR.

Another Committee was set up headed by Member (Personnel) to go into the status of former distinguished employees. This will comprise board members including the Radio and Doordarshan Director-Generals, Muzzafar Ali and Prema Cariappa.

The Committee will work out a fresh scheme of financial assistance to distinguished artists of AIR and Doordarshan who are in indigent condition and are not getting any pension or financial assistance from the Government.

Prasar Bharati approved a monthly financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to C. E. DeMellow, wife of the late Melville De Mellow whose booming voice had enthralled millions all over the country both on radio and Doordarshan.

C.E. DeMellow is about 93 years old and is in an indigent condition. Keeping her condition in view, Prasar Bharati with the approval of the CEO sanctioned in June 2012 a lump sum amount of Rs 50,000 and assistance of Rs 5000 per month as an interim measure.

The board decided to double the monthly financial assistance to her to Rs 10,000 with a direction to AIR to ensure timely payment.

The late Melville De Mellow had joined AIR in April 1950 and worked till April 1971 when he superannuated. Thereafter, he was retained in AIR as Producer (Emeritus) for a period of 5 years. He belonged to ?staff artistes? category.

In 1991, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry declared artistes/staff artistes as deemed Government servants with effect from 6 March 1982 but De Mellow was not covered as he had retired in 1971, he was not covered under these orders.

Meanwhile, the Prasar Bharati board gave in principle approval to the long-awaited fee-structure in 26 different categories of non-permanent staff.