National Network - Govt bid to tighten grip on Prasar Bharati

Source of Articles: Indian Express, The Indian Express Online Media Ltd

October 5, 2011

Express news service

The government is set to bring an ordinance to amend the Prasar Bharati Act which would give it more say in the functioning of the public broadcaster by simplifying the procedure to remove its chairman, chief executive officer (CEO) and other members.

Following the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Prasar Bharati, the Union Law Ministry was learnt to be finalising the draft ordinance, which is likely to be taken up by the Cabinet in a couple of weeks.

As per the draft ordinance, the government proposes to add two more permanent members — technology and marketing — to run the public broadcaster more professionally and enable it to compete with private broadcasters.

The move to curtail the powers of the Prasar Bharati CEO comes in the backdrop of a raging controversy about financial irregularities involving the then CEO B S Lalli, who was also indicted by the Shunglu Committee in connection with the broadcasting contract for the Commonwealth Games.

As per the Prasar Bharati Act, the chairman and other members can be removed only through a presidential reference to the Supreme Court, which must hold an inquiry into the charges and make a recommendation to the President accordingly.

But the draft ordinance would provide for the appointing authority — the Vice-President, chairman of the Press Council of India and a nominee of the President of India — to have the power to suspend and remove the chairman and other members.

Also, while the Act says that the chairman and other members can be removed only on grounds of misbehaviour, the draft ordinance says they can also be removed for inability to enforce the Act, according to official sources.

According to the ordinance, while the upper age limit of the chairman and the CEO would be 70 and 65 years respectively, it would be 55 years for other members, who would have a three-year term that could be extended by a year.

Sources said the ordinance would also provide for setting up a management council which would look after operational affairs while the Prasar Bharati Board would look after policy matters.