NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to set up a Group of Ministers to review the Prasar Bharati Broadcasting Corporation's performance and look into the grievances of its 45,000 employees.

Dr. Singh gave this assurance on Friday to a delegation from the National Federation of Akashvani and Doordarshan Employees which sought a repeal of the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 due to the organisation's financial unviability. The Prime Minister said he would discuss the issue with Information and Broadcasting Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, Federation chairperson Robin Dasgupta told reporters here on Saturday.

The general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Chittabrata Mazumdar, was also part of the delegation and apprised Dr. Singh of the miseries of the employees and the acute financial distress of Prasar Bharati. Mr. Singh agreed with the CITU contention that it was the Government's responsibility to ensure the smooth running of All India Radio and Doordarshan. "The Federation has also been assured [of] support from all political parties including the Congress and its allies, and the Opposition having realised the futility of carrying on with this Act," Mr. Dasgupta said.

Court directive

The urgency arises as the Supreme Court has directed the Government and Prasar Bharati to finalise all matters relating to complete implementation of the Prasar Bharati Act within four weeks from August 2, 2005. The Act was passed by Parliament in 1990 following the Supreme Court judgment that airwaves were public property and could not be monopolised. The judgment came at a time when AIR and Doordarshan were the only broadcasters but today with the advent of private television and FM stations, the broadcasting scenario had changed and there was a need to give the Act a fresh look, Mr. Dasgupta said.

The Prasar Bharati's profits have been stagnant for the past five years and it was not possible to increase earnings with most stations operating at remote, financially unviable locations. Top officials at Prasar Bharati have said at forums that the organisation in its present form was not financially viable. Even the Ministry had said that it needed to be fully funded by the Centre. A Parliamentary Committee report had suggested that Prasar Bharati reduce the programmes on social issues since these were not financially rewarding.

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