Govt seeks to curb Prasar CEO powers

Source of Articles: Asian Age, Asian Age Holdings Ltd.

October 3, 2011

 

New Delhi, Oct. 2: The government is mulling curbing powers of the Prasar Bharati CEO in the backdrop of charges against former head of the public broadcaster B.S. Lalli with regard to Commonwealth Games contracts, an official said on Sunday.
Once amendments in the Prasar Bharati Act for the purpose come into force, the process to remove its CEO will become easier, the senior I&B ministry official said. The amendments will also empower the ministry to order telecast of an event on Doordarshan, he said. "During the Commonwealth Games in 2010, Lalli took all the decisions which resulted in a CBI case into award of the broadcasting contracts," the official said. "It was felt that despite the presence of oversight committee Lalli managed to take all decisions because of the powers the Prasar Bharati Act confers on the CEO," he said.
A GoM, which studied the matter, has suggested that the relation between the ministry and Prasar Bharati be relooked, he said. Sources said that one of the key amendments that the ministry has moved for the Cabinet's consideration is inclusion of a clause according to which "inefficiency" is a criterion for the removal of the CEO.
— PTI