NEW DELHI: A sum of Rs 10.16 crore including Rs 9.38 crore for commissioned and the balance Rs 78.05 lakh on in-house programmes was spent for Doordarshan's Urdu channel during 2014-15, the Rajya Sabha was told on 4 August.

Even as there is no sanctioned post of Urdu programme executive in Doordarshan Kendra Delhi, three consultants (retired programmers) and one external consultant conversant with Urdu have been taken in to help the production work of DD Urdu channel.

Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore said in replies to different questions that there are other programme executives in DDK Delhi but Prasar Bharati had informed that no post of programme executive had been sanctioned for DD Urdu and DD News Urdu.

Programme executives are also called on tour as and when required to meet additional requirements, Jaitley said.

The work of DD News Urdu is being looked after by assistant director (news) who is fully conversant with Urdu language. Urdu programmes of DDK, Delhi, are produced by existing programme executives. The channel is run by the in-house staff of Doordarshan as well as contractual staff hired as required.

Rathore said DD Urdu had been refurbished with new content through commissioning of programmes under different genres apart from increasing in-house productions.

Ten news bulletins in Urdu are also being telecast daily on DD Urdu channel. Programmes of specific interest to the Urdu speaking audiences like minority issues, Government schemes for minorities, events in the neighbouring countries, etc. have also been launched to give a new look to DD Urdu channel.

DD Urdu has an updated website as a part of Doordarshan. Promos about DD Urdu are also loaded on YouTube and Facebook, he added.

                       Amount spent on DD-Urdu programmes in the last 3 years