BID TO RESOLVE PRASAR BHARATI PAYMENTS
TO SPACE DEPTT.
The
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has desired to resolve
the matter regarding payment of dues to Department of Space for
using INSAT Transponders by Prasar Bharati, through the Inter-Ministerial
consultations.
Replying to a question
by Shri C. Ramachandraiah in Rajya Sabha today, the Minister of
Information and Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad said that
INSAT capacity of Department of Space is being utilized by Prasar
Bharati (Doordarshan and All India Radio) for more than 15 years.
It is only now that the Department of Space has asked for the
payment of user charges from Prasar Bharati for an amount of Rs
144 crores for the year 2001-2002 and Rs 172 crores for 2002-2003
towards the use of 22 INSAT Transponders allotted to the Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting.
Shri Prasad further
said that the Ministry has taken up the matter with the Department
of Space and stated that Prasar Bharati is a public broadcaster
and its commercial revenue is incidental and forms only a small
proportion of its expenditure. It is largely funded by the Government.
In view of the present mandate of social commitment of Prasar
Bharati it would be desirable to resolve the matter through Inter-Ministerial
consultations, the Minister added.
