Lok Sabha Question No. 293 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Modernization of AIR and DD Kendras
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Abdul Majeed Ariff

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 293

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2023)

## MODERNIZATION OF AIR AND DD KENDRAS

293.  ADV. A.M. ARIFF:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  measures  for  the modernization  of  Akashvani  and  Doordarshan  Kendras  in  the country  including  those  from  Kerala  to  meet  the  changing demands and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is true that several All India Radio (AIR) stations are still  functioning  with  old  vacuum  tube  transformers  which result  in  consumption  of  more  power  and  resulting  in  higher operational  costs,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  along with the list of such AIR stations, State and UT-wise;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to replace the old vacuum tube transformers by Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) transmitters to ensure smooth functioning and reduce operational costs in a time bound manner;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  amounts  sanctioned,  released  and  utilized for each of the AIR stations in Kerala in Financial Year 2023-24 as on date?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

## (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) to (d):   The modernization and strengthening of infrastructure and network of Prasar Bharati in respect of Akashvani and Doordarshan (DD) at different stations across the country is a continuous process under  the  'Broadcasting  Infrastructure  and  Network  Development' (BIND)  Scheme.  This  scheme  has  been  further  continued  for  the period  2021-26  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  2539.61  crores  for  various components.

Presently,  only  25  Akashvani  stations  are  functioning  with  vacuum tube transmitters. State/UT- wise details are at Annexure-I.

(e):   The details of funds sanctioned, released and utilised for each of the AIR stations in Kerala are at Annexure -II.

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## ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 293 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2023

## STATE-WISE DETAILS OF STATIONS HAVING VACUUM TUBE TRANSMITTERS BASED MW TRANSMITTERS

|   S. No. | State                  | District               | Location            | Power          |
|----------|------------------------|------------------------|---------------------|----------------|
|        1 | Arunachal PradeshLohit | Arunachal PradeshLohit | Tezu                | 10 KW          |
|        2 | Assam                  | Kamrup Metropolitan    | Guwahati            | 100 KW         |
|        3 | Assam                  | Kokrajhar              | Kokrajhar           | 20 kW          |
|        4 | Assam                  | Sonitpur               | Tezpur              | 20 KW          |
|        5 | Bihar                  | Bhagalpur              | Bhagalpur           | 20 KW          |
|        6 | Goa                    | North Goa              | Panaji              | 20 KW          |
|        7 | Karnataka              | Shivamogga             | Bhadrawati          | 20 KW          |
|        8 | Karnataka              | Gulbarga               | Gulbarga            | 20 KW          |
|        9 | Kerala                 | Alappuzha              | Alappuzha           | 200 kW         |
|       10 | Kerala                 | Kozhikode              | Kozhikode (Calicut) | 100 KW         |
|       11 | Kerala                 | Thrissur               | Thrissur            | 100 KW         |
|       12 | Madhya Pradesh         | Bhopal                 | Bhopal              | 10 KW          |
|       13 | Madhya Pradesh         | Gwalior                | Gwalior             | 20 KW          |
|       14 | Maharashtra            | Parbhani               | Parbhani            | 20 KW          |
|       15 | Maharashtra            | Sangli                 | Sangli              | 20 KW          |
|       16 | Rajasthan              | Udaipur                | Udaipur             | 20 KW          |
|       17 | Tamil Nadu             | Coimbatore             | Coimbatore          | 20 KW          |
|       18 | Tamil Nadu             | Madurai                | Madurai             | 20 KW          |
|       19 | Tamil Nadu             | Tuticorin              | Tuticorin           | 200 KW         |
|       20 | Tripura                | West Tripura           | Agartala            | 20 KW          |
|       21 | UT (Puducherry)        | Puducherry             | Puducherry          | 20 KW          |
|       22 | Uttar Pradesh          | Agra                   | Agra                | 20 KW          |
|       23 | Uttar Pradesh          | Gorakhpur              | Gorakhpur           | 10 KW (Mobile) |
|       24 | Uttar Pradesh          | Prayagraj              | Prayagraj           | 20 KW          |
|       25 | Uttar Pradesh          | Rampur                 | Rampur              | 20 KW          |

## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE  AS  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 293 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2023

## DETAILS OF SANCTIONED BUDGET GRANT(SBG)/ RELEASED & EXPENDITURE OF THE AKASHVANI STATIONS IN KERALA

(Amount in Rs. thousands)

| S.No.   | Name of the Stations                                           | Other Admn. Exp. (Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources)   | Other Admn. Exp. (Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources)   | Other Admn. Exp. (Internal and Extra Budgetary Resources)   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|         |                                                                | SBG 2023-24                                                 | Released                                                    | Exp. Upto Oct. 2023                                         |
| 1       | Akashvani, Cochin                                              | 17870                                                       | 12527                                                       | 11100                                                       |
| 2       | Main Channel, Akashvani, Cochin                                | 3228                                                        | 1691                                                        | 1127                                                        |
| 3       | Akashvani, Calicut                                             | 22151                                                       | 15294                                                       | 12080                                                       |
| 4       | Akashvani, Manjeri                                             | 4580                                                        | 3260                                                        | 2517                                                        |
| 5       | Akashvani, Trichur                                             | 16650                                                       | 10692                                                       | 9568                                                        |
| 6       | High Power Transmitter, Akashvani, Alleppey                    | 17100                                                       | 10641                                                       | 8298                                                        |
| 7       | Akashvani, Cannanore                                           | 5490                                                        | 3537                                                        | 3026                                                        |
| 8       | Akashvani, Devikulam                                           | 3625                                                        | 2524                                                        | 1946                                                        |
| 9       | Akashvani, Thiruvananthapuram                                  | 40510                                                       | 27495                                                       | 19559                                                       |
| 10      | Akashvani, Thiruvananthapuram, 5kW                             | 375                                                         | 266                                                         | 36                                                          |
| 11      | Commercial Broadcasting Station, Akashvani, Thiruvananthapuram | 2135                                                        | 1581                                                        | 752                                                         |
|         | Total                                                          | 133714                                                      | 89508                                                       | 70009                                                       |