DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER L.K. ADVANI PRESENTS ANNUAL AKASHVANI AWARDS' 2001
- URGES AIR TO CONTINUOUSLY STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
CENT
PERCENT RADIO COVERAGE TO BE ENSURED IN THE COUNTRY SOON - SAYS
SUSHMA SWARAJ
The Deputy Prime Minister, Shri L.K.
Advani has hailed Radio for continuously striving for excellence
as a medium of information, education and research. Presenting
the Annual Akashvani Award’ 2001 at a glittering function in Jawaharlal
Nehru Indoor Stadium at Cuttack Saturday evening, he said despite
stiff competition from TV, Radio maintains it’s reach and popularity
as a mass media. He expressed concern over growing tendency of
TV becoming the channel of entertainment and sensationlisation.
TV should exercise restraint while showing gory details of incidents,
he observed.
In her address, the Information
& Broadcasting Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj said the acceptability
and accessibility of Radio have given it an edge over TV in our
country. From 6 stations at the time of Independence Akashvani
has now 209 Kendras serving 98.4 percent of our listeners. With
qualitative improvement of programmes, the government would soon
ensure 100 percent coverage by radio network, she added.
Speaking on the occasion, the
Orissa Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Patnaik lauded the role of
Akashvani during the trying time of the state, mostly visited
by natural calamities and also in popularizing Odissi music and
dance. He demanded expanding the radio network uniformly in the
State, particularly in far off districts like Malkangiri and Gajapati
where people at present do not get radio reception properly.
The Minister of State for Information
& Broadcasting, Shri Ramesh Bais in his welcome address underlined
the role of radio as the most popular media in it’s 75 years of
long journey in the country.
Among others, the Union Minister
for Urban Development, Shri Ananth Kumar, the Orissa Minister
for Information & Public Relations Dr. Damodar Rout with his
two Ministerial colleagues graced the occasion.
The Akashvani Award presentation
coincided with the launching of year-long celebration of Platinum
Jubilee of Indian Broadcasting by the Deputy Prime Minister, Shri
Advani gave away trophies and certificates to the Award winners
in 29 categories. He also felicitated the artists of AIR, Cuttack
who presented programmes during the inauguration of the new complex
of the Cuttack station of AIR. The new complex was inaugurated
by the then I&B Minister, Shri Advani in 1977.
Earlier in the day, launching
the Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojna in Bhubaneswar Shri Advani hoped
that the yojna would not only benefit the slum-dwellers but help
constructing shelters for victims of natural calamities, often
faced by the state. He reiterated that the NDA government is determined
to turn the country into a complete welfare state by reaping the
benefits to the poor, homeless, dalits and downtrodden. Referring
to ISI activities and infiltration, Shri Advani said his government
is trying to provide Identity cards to all citizens of the country.
The Union Ministers for Urban
Development, Shri Ananth Kumar and Minister of Information &
Broadcasting also spoke on the occasion.
The Deputy Prime Minister, who
arrived in Bhubaneswar yesterday morning on a day’s visit to Orissa
also reviewed the drought situation with the State Chief Minister,
Shri Naveen Patnaik and other senior officials in Raj Bhavan.
