(a) whether the All India Radio, Jeypore PC station in Odisha has been included in Bhawanipatna Cluster as per latest directions of Prasar Bharati;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government is aware of the discontent in undivided Koraput District on the above direction; and
(d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to retain AIR Jeypore Station in Odisha and make it 3rd Cluster of Odisha?
THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
(SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)
(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *230 FOR ANSWER ON 14.12.2021.
(a) to (d) Prasar Bharati, with the objective of streamlining and strengthening administrative operations across several hundreds of small field units of DD and AIR spread across India, has consolidated administrative management of DD and AIR establishments into one or more clusters within every state (around 80 clusters across India).
Accordingly, the administration of the field units of DD and AIR in the state of Odisha has been organised into three clusters, as per Annexure, each to be headed by a senior officer who is made responsible for administrative functions of the smaller field units that are part of the respective clusters.
This structuring of smaller field units into administrative clusters has been done to bring operational efficiency and prudent financial management so that service matters, statutory matters such as RTI replies, legal and financial matters of these smaller field units are handled in a timely and transparent manner by the senior officer heading each cluster.
This administrative organisation of smaller field units into clusters however has no bearing on the content operations of AIR Radio service in Jeypore or of any other AIR station in the state of Odisha or anywhere in India.
AIR Jeypore continues to function as before to serve the needs and aspirations of the region by delivering radio content in multiple modes such as on 1467 kHz in Medium Wave, and at 103.6 MHz in FM in Jeypore, and on “newsOnAir” mobile application on “Android” and “iOS” platform for mobile users globally.