Lok Sabha Question No. 351 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-19
Subject: Community Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Gyaneshwar Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 351

## (TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2022)

## COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

## 351. SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION & BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- 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?

## ANSWER

## 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.

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