The cabinet ministry yesterday cleared an advance amount of Rs 220 million to enable national broadcaster Doordarshan to cover 99 per cent of the North Eastern region within the next five years. The total package is rumoured to be worth RS 7000 million.

The package has similar features to the plan for the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir. The deadline for implementation of the Northeast plan is March 2005. The first phase is expected to be finished by next March. Currently Doordarshan covers 32 per cent of Manipur 68 per cent of Mizoram and 69 per cent of Nagaland.

Eighteen new stations will be set up and five high power transmitters will be upgraded.

As far as All India Radio goes, 16 new stations are expected to be commissioned.