UPGRADATION OF AIR, DD NETWORK
IN NORTH EAST
RAJYA SABHA
Provisions of Rs
170.55 crores and Rs 380.55 crores have been kept for AIR and
Doordarshan respectively in the 10th Plan for the schemes
to be implemented under Phase-II of the Special North East Package,
which is yet to be approved by the Expenditure Finance Committee
(EFC).
Replying to a question
by Dr Arun Kumar Sarma in Rajya Sabha today, the Minister for
Information and Broadcasting Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad said that
the special package for expansion and improvement of AIR and Doordarshan
services in North East Region and Island territories was approved
in principle by the Government in October, 2001.
The Minister said
that a separate North East Zone was created by setting up a small
office with limited staff in a rented building in Guwahati. A
Chief Engineer has also been posted in Guwahati. Budget has been
provided for the establishment of North East Zone office, Shri
Prasad said.
Shri Prasad further
told that the work for enhancement of height of RCC-cum-Steel
Tower at Dibrugarh had been tendered with wide publicity, but
no response was received.
The feasibility of
increasing the tower height in all steel frame has been examined
in consultation with IIT, Chennai, which has confirmed the alternative
proposal and finalized the budget, the Minister said, adding that
the work would take about two years for the work to be completed
after its award.
