Budget may keep Rs 100 cr for farmers' television channel

BJP manifesto had promised it would set up regional Kisan TV channels

The 2014-15 Union Budget is likely to pave the way for India's first-ever exclusive channel for farmers, with an initial allocation of Rs 100 crore.

To be called either Krishi Channel or Kisan Channel, the 24-hour channel is expected to have interactive programmes than the current ones to enable active participation of farmers.

"Though the final contours of the programming and other details are being worked out, the government is expected to go ahead and make an announcement in this regard in its maiden Budget speech next month," said a senior official directly involved in the matter.

Interestingly, the Bharatiya Janata Party, in its manifesto for the 2014 general elections, had promised that if voted to power, it would set up of regional Kisan TV channels.

Prasar Bharti, under whose ambit the channel will function, currently runs the Krishi Darshan programme on DD1 which is one of the longest running programmes on an Indian television channel since 1967. Krishi Darshan is also the first programme to be telecast on the Doordarshan network. It also regularly beams programmes meant for farmers in its various other channels.

Officials said consultations have already been held for the launch of a 24-hour agriculture-based channel, which could leverage the expertise Doordarshan has in creating programmes for farmers and other rural audiences and telecast them to a wider audience. There is a view that the public broadcaster would be able to create more awareness and educate farmers if there is a channel devoted to agriculture.

Agriculture is one of the fields to which public broadcaster is required to pay special attention, according to the Prasar Bharati Act.

Since crop patterns and requirement of farmers differ from region to region, it is being considered whether one channel with different time slots for regional content would be more suited or whether more than one channel is required to reach out to the diverse agro-regions of the country.

Doordarshan, currently operates 21 channels, which includes - two national channels - DD National and DD News, 11 regional language satellite channels, four state networks, an international channel, a sports channel, DD Sports, and two channels - Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV - for live broadcast of parliamentary proceedings. DD has its own DTH service called DD Direct Plus, which is free of charge.