Lok Sabha Question No. 2735 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-19
Subject: Broadcast Infrastructure and Network Development
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Jyotsna Charandas Mahant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2735

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2023)

BROADCAST INFRASTRUCTURE AND NETWORK DEVELOPMENT

2735. SHRIMATI JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT:

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

- (a) whether the Government has started the Broadcast Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) Scheme in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  objective  of  the Scheme and the time by when it was started;
- (c) whether agriculture related channels such as DD Kisan and DD Metro are being telecasted by Doordarshan centers in regional languages under the said Scheme; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and  the details of information regarding popularity of these programmes, State-wise including Chhattisgarh?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR) (a) & (b):  Yes Sir, The Government has approved continuation of the Central  Sector  Scheme  'Broadcasting  Infrastructure  and  Network Development  (BIND)'  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  2539.61  crore  for  the period  2021-26  under  various  components  for  modernization  and upgradation of Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development  of Prasar Bharati (Akashvani and Doordarshan). (c)  &  (d):  DD  Kisan  is a  national  channel  dedicated  for  agriculture related content in Hindi. Further, 18 Doordarshan Regional Kendras are telecasting agriculture related content in  their  programme 'Krishi Darshan' in 11 regional languages. Doordarshan Kendra-wise including DDK Chhattisgarh and channel-wise details of viewership are at Annexure.

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## Annexure

## ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) & (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2735 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2023

## DDK-wise details of viewership

| Market                                       |   Weekly Average Minutes Audience (AMA) (average last 8 weeks) (in thousands) |
|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| India                                        |                                                                        2185.4 |
| HSM(Hindi Speaking Market)                   |                                                                        2168.1 |
| Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh                  |                                                                         487.7 |
| Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand                    |                                                                         424   |
| Rajasthan                                    |                                                                         311.2 |
| Gujarat /Daman & Diu/ Dadra and Nagar Haveli |                                                                         209.9 |
| Maharashtra /Goa                             |                                                                         171.1 |
| Odisha                                       |                                                                         142.5 |
| Punjab/Chandigarh                            |                                                                         112.9 |
| Delhi                                        |                                                                         100.9 |
| Bihar/Jharkhand                              |                                                                          92.4 |
| Haryana /Himachal Pradesh/ Jammu & Kashmir   |                                                                          67   |
| West Bengal                                  |                                                                          34.2 |
| Assam/North-East/Sikkim                      |                                                                          14.3 |
| Karnataka                                    |                                                                          12.4 |
| Andhra Pradesh / Telangana                   |                                                                           2.3 |
| Kerala                                       |                                                                           1.8 |
| Tamil Nadu/ Puducherry                       |                                                                           0.7 |

## Channel-wise details of viewership

| Channel           | Cumulative reach (average last 4 weeks) (in thousands)   |
|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| DD Kisan          | 5,335.0                                                  |
| DD Malayalam      | 2,273.3                                                  |
| DD Chandana       | 1,320.4                                                  |
| DD Sahyadri       | 1,260.4                                                  |
| DD Uttar Pradesh  | 1,018.8                                                  |
| DD Oriya          | 942.9                                                    |
| DD Rajasthan      | 835.2                                                    |
| DD Girnar         | 799.4                                                    |
| DD Madhya Pradesh | 474.5                                                    |
| DD Bangla         | 402.0                                                    |
| DD Bihar          | 387.5                                                    |
| DD Kashir         | 365.3                                                    |
| DD Assam          | 313.8                                                    |