No decision on corporatisation of Doordarshan, All India Radio: Govt

New Delhi: The government has not taken any decision on corporatisation of Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR), the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. The government also told the Upper House there was no increase in its spending on advertisement post demonetisation. Early this year, a panel of secretaries had recommended the government to turn the DD and the AIR as corporate entities to reduce their dependence on public funds and give them greater autonomy to take decisions. In a written reply in the Upper House, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “A group of secretaries has recommended transforming Doordarshan and All India Radio as corporate entities. No decision has been taken so far.” To a separate question, Rathore said there was no increase in government spending on advertisement post demonetisation, which was announced on November 8, 2016. He said the committed expenditure by various ministries and their departments during November to March 2016-17 was Rs 642.11 crore, as compared to Rs 709.62 crore in the corresponding period 2015-16. He, however, said the total committed expenditure on promotion of digital transaction by the DAVP –the publicity wing of the government– on behalf of the ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Finance and Commerce, and the NITI Aayog was Rs 55.41 crore.