Prasar Bharati Act Amended

The government has amended the Prasar Bharati Act bowing to criticism over shortcomings in the seven-year old act which come in the way of ensuring full autonomy to All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan.

An ordinance effecting significant changes in the 1990 act was promulgated by president K R Narayanan on Wednesday. The act, which had been notified on July 22 this year, had come into force on September 15. A bill to replace the ordinance is likely to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.

Official sources said the act had been revamped to make it operational and in line with the current situation in the media. It now does away with the provision of a 22-member parliamentary committee proposed in the act to oversee the functions of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India).

Clause 13(1) of the act had stipulated that a committee comprising of 15 Lok Sabha members and seven from Rajya Sabha be constituted in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote to oversee that the corporation discharges its functions in accordance with the provisions of the act.

The chairman of the Press Council of India, justice P B Sawant, who is a nominated member of the three-member selection committee for the Prasar Bharati Board, had suggested scrapping of such a parliamentary committee and also sought dilution of some other clauses which he felt threatened the autonomy of the proposed board.

The sources said it was felt that existence of a parliamentary committee with overriding powers would make it difficult for the board to function independently.

The constitution of the board has been delayed by over a month as presidents nominee in the selection committee has not yet been firmed up. The selection committee comprises the vice- president, Krisha Kant, Justice Sawant and a Presidents nominee.

According to the act, the board would consist of a chairman, an executive member, member (finance), member (personnel) and six part-time members with the directors general of AIR and Doordarshan as ex-officio members.

The board would also have a representative from the I&B b ministry and two representatives of the employees including one from the engineering staff and the remaining from other staff.

Justice Sawant had also suggested lessening the number of government officials in the board.