Community radio a non-starter Times of India - India After that only the community radio would be set up. An SSA official said a special budget could not be granted for this purpose. ...
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Community-radio-a-non-starter/articleshow/4497026.cms> 8 May 2009, 0351 hrs IST, Aditya Dev, TNN CHANDIGARH: Initiated with much fanfare by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), a radio community project faces an uncertain future in absence of any budget to talk of. Sources revealed there was no sanction for it in the SSA in the first place. Sources said, the Union ministry of information and broadcasting had given its go-ahead to the project in February 2009. As things stand now, in all probability, the project is not going to see the light of the day this year. According to DPI (S) Samwartak Singh, the department would write to the Union ministry of human resources and development (MHRD) for sanction of budget. After that only the community radio would be set up. An SSA official said a special budget could not be granted for this purpose. Even if the sanction is given, it would be for the whole country and not just for Chandigarh, he said. The official clarified that funds were granted under fixed heads to all 35 states and UTs and installation of community radio did not fall in any of them. He added that this yearÂ’s budget for Chandigarh had already been sanctioned on April 11 and there were no chances of any further sanction this year. The idea of having community radio had started taking shape almost a year and a half back under aegis of SSA and it was to be set up at State Institute of Education, Sector-32. Notably, the project has faced many troubles in the past too. Earlier, there was probability of the proposed venue for the radio station to be shifted from State Institute of Education (SIE), Sector 32, to some other place owing to its proximity to the local airport. Responding to an application from the SSA, in July 2008, ministry of information and broadcasting had sent out a letter of intent (LoI) for setting up the radio station at the SIE. The letter had directed the SSA to apply in the prescribed format laid down by WPC (wireless planning and commission) along with requisite fees for allotment of frequency and SACFA (standing advisory committee on radio frequency allocation) clearance to WPC wing of ministry of communication and intimate I&B Ministry accordingly. Subsequently, the SSA sent an online application to WPC for frequency allotment and SACFA clearance, which was then approved. _______________________________________________ cr-india mailing list [email protected] https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india
