NEW DELHI: A media-savvy chief executive of Prasar Bharati Jawhar Sircar used the social media to announce yesterday that the Indian government has accepted his resignation from the pubcaster and acceded to his request for an early retirement.
Sircar was originally to complete his term as the Indian pubcaster’s chief executive and attain superannuation first quarter of 2017.
On a quiet Sunday, when most Indians were getting ready for a new season of Big Boss later in the evening having watched Indian cricket team romp home to victory over Black Caps in a 50-over game in Dharamshala, Sircar used Facebook to announce that the government had formally cleared the way for his early ride into the sunset.
“Time to quit, after eventful 41.5 years in IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and beyond. Central Govt (government) has accepted my resignation. Done enough: no more govt or private jobs. Free man, finally. Only books !” Sircar posted on his FB page Sunday evening in his usual flamboyant style.
Interestingly, it was another September weekend --- Saturday to be specific --- when Sircar had used FB to state and clarify he wanted to quit Prasar Bharati before his tenure ended officially and alluded to a time-frame too. “Since news is out today…I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV(ember),” he had then said on social media.
Sircar, who took office mid-February 2012 has been at odds, at times, with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), including Ministers, and even the Prasar Bharati Board. Still, he had told indiantelevision.com in September when contacted that MIB and Prasar Bharati Board were “in sync and supportive.”
Sircar, who took early retirement as Secretary, Ministry of Culture, to take up the challenging job of chief executive of Prasar Bharati, which manages All India Radio and Doordarshan, is an expert in art and culture and has lectured on the issues in India and abroad.
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