Question : Community Radio Stations

a) whether any innovative inventions or studies have been done by the Government so that the information about the welfare schemes of the Government reaches to the people at the Panchayat level and also tribal areas regularly and if so, the details thereof;
b) whether the Government has any plan to link public administration offices with e-Governance for better transparency and productivity across the country;
c) whether the Government proposes to streamline the process of setting up community radio stations and encourage it in rural and urban areas so that information can be easily accessed in each area; and
d) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) Press Information Bureau (PIB), as part of the central sector scheme ‘Dissemination of Information & Development Communication (DCID)’, implements the sub scheme ‘Media Outreach Programme’, under which VARTALAP is one of the activity, wherein media conclaves are conducted at district level and rural media at panchayat level is invited for one-day interactive sessions. It has been designed to inform and empower potential beneficiaries at village level of the development programmes and schemes of the Government of India and to participate in and avail of the benefits of these schemes through rural media. Further, the press releases and PM''s speeches and tweets are translated and disseminated to media in regional languages.
Besides the above, the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC, erstwhile BOC) carries out awareness campaign on Government policies and programmes on behalf of Ministries/Departments in rural and tribal areas.

(b) The Government of India, as a part of e-Governance, has implemented e-Office with the objective of improving the Government functioning by inculcating more efficient, effective, transparent office procedures, thus increasing the accountability and responsibility in the Inter-Government and Intra-Government transactions.

(c) and (d) The Government of India has taken several measures for streamlining the process of setting up Community Radio Stations (CRS) and encouraging it in rural and urban areas. The Government has revamped its Broadcastseva Portal, for online submission of applications for grant of permissions for setting up of Community Radio Stations. Further, the Government, from time to time, organizes Community Radio awareness workshops for increasing awareness regarding setting up of Community Radio Stations. During the financial year 2021-22, a total of nine webinars were organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for increasing awareness amongst the potential organizations, encouraging them to setup Community Radio Stations in various parts of the country.