Waves of neglect ruin radio station
The Dibrugarh All India Radio station,
fitted with the most powerful transmitter in eastern India, is a
pitiably understaffed organisation, struggling to maintain normal
operations.
Sixty-nine posts are lying vacant at the centre, including those of the
station director and four assistant station directors.
Several posts of programme executives,
assistant news editors, music composer, announcer, engineering
assistant, stenographers and drivers are also unoccupied.
The station was established four decades
ago to highlight the rich cultural heritage of the region -
particularly Upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
In fact, the agenda was to counter Chinese waves through this powerful
transmitter in Dibrugarh.
"Before the establishment of the AIR
station here, people in Arunachal Pradesh used to hear transmissions by
Chinese radio which they could receive easily. However, after the
establishment of AIR, Dibrugarh, people got to hear something Indian on
their radio sets," a source said.
Lately, AIR, Dibrugarh has been largely neglected by the Centre,
particularly the information and broadcasting ministry.
Officials and employees from the Dibrugarh centre were transferred
elsewhere without arrangements being made for their replacements.
"Akashvani, Dibrugarh, in its initial
days was heard even in states like Orissa. But gradually, its
transmission power got affected because of poor maintenance and lack of
technical personnel. We have time and again submitted memorandums to
the authorities but nothing came of them. All these pleas and
applications seem to have fallen on deaf ears," the source added.
The All Assam Students Union has now decided to take up the matter with
the information and broadcasting ministry.
"We will soon send memorandums to the
Union government with pleas to solve AIR, Dibrugarh's problems. It is
unfortunate that the Centre is neglecting a station that was
established to counter Chinese waves," Rituparna Baruah, assistant
general secretary of AASU, said.
Source:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091024/jsp/northeast/story_11643362.jsp
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Jaisakthivel, Chennai, India