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indiantelevision.com Team
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.
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