Around Rs 35 crore spent by Prasar Bharati in left extremist affected areas

Both All India Radio and Doordarshan have spent around Rs 35 crore in setting up transmitters and programming in left wing extremist (LWE) areas. Programmes are aired on the theme of dissuading the youth from getting involved in anti-social activities and persuading those, who have misguidedly taken to arms, to come back and join the mainstream, Parliament was told recently. These are telecasting Developmental programmes on Education, Youth Welfare, Women Empowerment, welfare schemes for the area, Forest Act and Rights of Tribals including coverage of local festivals and tribal folk music in their local languages and dialects. The thrust is largely on the developmental schemes/activities of the Government of India and the State Governments. These programmes also dwell on the need of maintaining law and order in the concerned areas so that people’s progress could be achieved faster.

As far as AIR is concerned, six new FM High Power Transmitters have been planned in LWE affected areas at a total cost of Rs.28.06 Crores at Kakinada East Godavari/Andhra Pradesh; Muzaffarpur in Bihar; Amibikapur Sarguja in Chhattisgarh; Dhanbad in Jharkhand; Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi (Odisha), and Suryapet in Nalgonda (Telangana). In addition to this, existing old/outlived transmitters at AIR stations functional in LWE affected areas are also planned for replacement by High Power Transmitters. As far as Doordarshan is concerned, a part of digitalization scheme approved under the 12th Plan Projects of setting up digital HPTs at a cost of Rs. 6.62 crore each have been implemented at Muzaffarpur (Bihar); Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh); and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand).It was also emphasized by the sources that all the areas uncovered by terrestrial transmitters are covered with multichannel TV coverage through Doordarshan’s free to air DTH service Freedish.