NEW DELHI: Doordarshan earned just Rs 7.94 billion, a little over half the projection of Rs 12 billion, during 2011-12 through commercial means.

While admitting Doordarshan had failed to meet its projected target in any of the years of the Eleventh Plan, Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com that the projection for 2012-13 had provisionally been kept at Rs 13 billion.

Doordarshan earned Rs 9.44 billion against a projection of Rs 12.37 billion through commercial means in 2010-11.

The commercial revenue has been falling short of the target for the other three years of the 11th Plan as well. While actual revenues in 2007-08 stood at Rs 7.20 billion, the projection was that DD would achieve Rs 9.47 billion. Similarly, in 2008-09 the commercial revenue was Rs 7.35 billion (projection Rs 10.84 billion. The following year was no different with DD earning Rs 8.30 billion against a target of Rs 9.47 billion.

The sources sought to argue that as Prasar Bharati was a public service broadcaster, it cannot be guided purely by commercial motives and revenue generation is not its main objective.

Measures being taken to increase revenues, the sources said, include aggressive marketing, putting into best use the spare infrastructure available with Prasar Bharati, content improvement, augmenting DTH services, and sharing of towers etc.

It was claimed that DD had witnessed a gradual growth of revenue over the years. It reaches to the people living in far flung and remotest part of the country carrying the programmes and schemes being implemented by the Government for the welfare of the community.

During the Eleventh Plan, the total revenue earned by AIR and Doordarshan came to Rs 57.68 billion. The total expenditure met out of Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources came to Rs 52.90 billion. Thus there was a gap of Rs 4.78 billion between the revenue earned and expenditure met out of IEBR.

Asked by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology whether under utilised outlay of IEBR is surrendered, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said all the residual funds out of internal revenue of Prasar Bharati are kept in its IEBR kitty as envisaged under sections 18 and 19 of Prasar Bharati Act and used for meeting its requirement on account of special maintenance of building and other capital assets and to bridge the budget gap.

Moreover, Prasar Bharati used to have budget cushion of about Rs three to five billion to meet contingencies. There is no provision in the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 to the effect that all the unspent amount of IEBR should be surrendered to the Government.

In a recent report, the Parliamentary Committee said DD should explore all the possibilities of revenue generation so as to meet the targets of projections made for planned schemes out of IEBR.

Besides, Doordarshan has to prepare for meeting the devised parameters of sharing the expenditure as per the formula suggested by the Group of Ministers, the Committee noted.

The Committee observed huge gaps between the total IEBR of Prasar Bharati and the expenditure met out of IEBR during each year of the Eleventh Plan. During 2010-11, the expenditure met was Rs 11.13 billion out of Rs 29.40 billion of IEBR.

The Committee wanted to be apprised about the total IEBR kitty of Prasar Bharati. The Committee also wanted to be apprised as to how the IEBR savings are maintained meaning thereby whether the amount is kept in accounts of banks etc. In that case, it said the amount generated through interest may also to be communicated to the Committee so as to understand the concept of IEBR kitty.

NEW DELHI: Four schemes finalised during the Eleventh Plan by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry have now been shifted to the 12th Plan because of tardy progress in getting approvals of the Planning Commission.

Noting that the Ministry has failed to learn lessons from the past, the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology has exhorted the Ministry to look into this and ensure that the implementation of the schemes start during the first year itself or in the earlier part of the year so that the allocations earmarked for the year 2012-13 are utilised.

The schemes are setting up of a Global Film School; setting up of a National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Gaming and Special Effects; National Film Heritage Mission under Film Sector; and an International Channel under Doordarshan, which could not be formally approved during the long period of five years.

The plan for upgrading the Film and Television Institute of India into a Global Film School had been finalised with comprehensive rationalisation and restructuring but it will now be included in the umbrella scheme of Infrastructure Development programme relating to Film Sector in the 12th Plan.

The National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Gaming and Special Effects and the Doordarshan International channel are now new schemes under the 12th Plan, while the National Film Heritage Mission is part of the Twelfth Plan new scheme as a Special Mission.

When asked about timeline chalked out for early approval and implementation of these Schemes, the Ministry has replied that the approval of new schemes involves a four stage appraisal-cum-approval process: in-principle approval; preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) and preparation of EFC /SFC memos; appraisal of SFC / EFC memos; and approval by the competent authority.

NEW DELHI: Although Doordarshan?s DD Urdu commenced in November 2007 and over 1000 proposals for new programmes have been submitted in two batches by around 800 producers since 2009, the channel is only beaming repeat programmes or those taken from DD Kashir for more than three years.

However, this claim by private disillusioned producers was contested by Doordarshan Deputy Director General Ashok Jailkhani, who told indiantelevision.com that DD Urdu was showing several news programmes. He also felt there was nothing wrong in taking programmes from DD Urdu.

Meanwhile, he also said it was erroneous to say that no steps had been taken on the 1069 proposals, adding that some meetings of select committees had been held and the proposals were ?under review?.

According to the producers, proposals for commissioning programmes had been invited twice, and each proposal had to be accompanied with a processing fee of Rs 25,000.

Brief proposals were invited up to 21 August 2009, wherein approximately 639 proposals were received. Presentations for the same were conducted from September 2010 to November 2010 before a duly (single) constituted committee.

The second Commissioning was notified without concluding the earlier exercise by making minor modification in the brief, but without notifying any reasons for this action.

The proposals were invited up to 1 October 2010 and up to 430 fresh proposals were submitted. The presentations for the same were conducted from 26 December 2011 to 23 February 2012 before three Committees comprising three members each.

The producers claim that the action by the public broadcaster has not only harmed the interests of Urdu, but harmed the image of the broadcaster itself.

They said each of the producers spent Rs 200,000 to Rs 5000 each and had undergone several hardships. Apart from the processing fee of Rs 25,000 for each proposal, the producers had spent money on reputed writers, directors and language experts, expenses were made during the presentations including air/rail travel, hotel and local conveyance for the experts were undertaken twice, money was paid for acquiring of rights of novels /published works; re-payment of the same to maintain the status quo so that the proposal still remains viable; and professional fees (although token) were paid to the creative team to remain with the project, apart from payments to language experts.

The channel totally banked on acquisition programmes which were invited in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Prasar Bharti sources told Indiantelevision.com that the total outlay of Rs 2.5 billion at the rate of Rs 500 million per year had been projected for the channel during the 12th plan, which is subject to approval of the planning commission.

The formal announcement about DD Urdu came on 15 August 2006. The language channel has been on air for 24 hours from 14 November 2007. The channel?s mandate was to encapsulate heritage, culture, literature, information, education and societal issues specific to the target audience.

The theme that predominantly runs through the transmission relates to modernising educational and social outlook of the target audience, document and show comparative study of societies in the South-Asian neighbourhood to draw lines of demarcation between democratic and non-democratic social structures, popularising science, technology, IT and demystifying science, conserving literary and cultural traditions identified with Urdu, and portrayal of Urdu as one of the modern Indian languages.

NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has no plans of any new transmitters in the current year, but will complete digitisation of 39 studios by March 2013.

Doordarshan presently covers 92 per cent population and 81 per cent area through 1415 transmitters.

The pubcaster will also complete ten earth station projects, two high power transmitter projects, 56 automode low power transmitters, and one very low power transmitter. Two studio projects were completed in 2011-12.

All areas not reached terrestrially including the north east are sought to be reached by Doordarshan?s free-to-air direct-to-home service DD Direct Plus, Prasar Bharati sources told indiantelevision.com.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology has flayed the Ministry for the under-utilisation of funds by Doordarshan.

In its explanation, the Ministry told the Committee that the Expenditure under Capital Plan of Doordarshan during 2011-12 till February 2012 was Rs 884.6 million against the revised estimates of 2011-12 of Rs 1.5751 billion and the likely expenditure up to March 2012 under Capital Plan of Doordarshan was around Rs 1.37 billion.

Delay in procurement/Supply of equipment and delay in Building/Tower works at some places were the main reasons given for the under-utilisation. The Actual Expenditure during the year 2009-10 was Rs 901.6 million and during the year 2010-11 was Rs 681 million under Capital Plan of Doordarshan.

Asked about efforts being made for full utilisation of funds and the initiatives being taken by the Ministry, it was stated that a High level Committee under the chairmanship of CEO, Prasar Bharati, has been constituted for project monitoring and implementation. This committee is regularly monitoring the progress of the schemes and taking corrective action, wherever required.

A three Member special empowered Committee on finance examines and resolves all issues related to finance.

The sanctioning power of DG has been restored to Rs 200 million.

The time schedule for procurement and all other major activities of a project have been drawn and the progress is being monitored as per the schedule.

Regular review meetings at Zonal offices and in Civil Construction Wing are being held to review the implementation of the projects.

NEW DELHI: All India Radio and Doordarshan have 30 per cent of their posts unfilled, according to a Parliamentary Committee report.

The state-owned AIR and DD have a total staff strength of 33,800 against a total sanctioned strength of 48,022, leaving a gap of 14222 posts.

The most critically affected areas are the Programme Wing and the News Services Division (AIR)/DD News.

The existing strength in the Programme Wing is just 6108 out of the total sanctioned strength of 10679, leaving the gap of 4571. Similarly, in NSD/News, there are 146 vacancies in the sanctioned strength of 379 with the present strength at 255.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has said that it has ?consistently been exhorting? the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to fill up the critical vacancies in DD and AIR. The Committee again exhorted the Department to settle the issues with various Ministries and fast track the recruitment rules and setting up of recruitment board.

The Committee during the course of the Study visits to various parts of the country were told about the difficulties encountered by various Regional Stations due to staff shortages. In spite of that, the Committee added, the situation had not been addressed in right earnest. The Ministry/Prasar Bharati had not been able to keep their promises made before the Committee to handle the situation, a report on the Demand for Grants for 2012-13 said.

Commitment to Committee belied

The Committee also regretted that Prasar Bharati had failed to live up to the assurance given by then Prasar Bharati CEO that the recruitment boards for Prasar Bharati would be set up by 31 March 2011.

"Now, when full one year has elapsed since then, the issues have still not been settled resulting in further delay in filling up these vacancies," the Committee noted.

The Committee had been informed that the notification with regard to setting up of Recruitment Board is under inter-Ministerial consultation. The Committee was given to understand that there are still some issues to be resolved between the Ministry/Department of Expenditure and the Department of Personnel.

UPSC and SSC refuse to set up recruitment boards for Prasar Bharati

UPSC and SSC have both refused to select for a non-Governmental organisation, thus creating a new problem for the Ministry/Prasar Bharati.

While deploring the situation on finalisation of recruitment rules and setting up of Recruitment Board leading from worse to worst scenario, the Committee said it "fails to understand how DD and AIR can work effectively without filling the critical vacancies."

It wanted its concerns to be adequately conveyed to the respective Ministries. Meanwhile, the Ministry should also finalise the strategy to fill the vacancies on a fast track basis so that the recruitment process commences immediately when the Recruitment Board and Recruitment Rules are in place so as to enable Prasar Bharati to fill up the vacancies within the shortest possible timeframe.

Proposal on boards pending before dept of expenditure

The proposal for setting up a Prasar Bharati Recruitment Board was approved by Prasar Bharati Board on 21 July 2010 and discussed in the Ministry and a final proposal was referred to the Department of Personnel and Training on 15 February 2011.

DOP&T concurred with the proposal in June 2011 and the comments of the Department of Expenditure (DOE) were also received on 28 September last year. The DoE had requested that a separate proposal be formulated for creation of posts for the secretariat of Prasar Bharati Recruitment Board and also requested for drafting of agreement containing terms and conditions of the members of the Board.

This had been done and the proposal sent to DoE in February 2012 and would then be sent to Law Ministry.

In its report in August last year, the Committee had urged Prasar Bharati to send a proposal for filling up 3452 essential categories of posts to the DoE, based on the report of the National Productivity Council giving full justification for such recruitment. The Ministry is now in the process of seeking cabinet approval, for which a cabinet note has already been circulated for inter-Ministerial consultation. After obtaining the approval of the Cabinet, Prasar Bharati shall undertake the process for filling up the essential category of posts.