Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday gave a week’s time to the chief executive officer (CEO) of the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati to file a response to an affidavit of its board chairman.
In an affidavit filed before the court, Prasar Bharati board chairman Arun Bhatnagar had said that notwithstanding the intervention of the court, non-compliance of the board decisions continued since little notice has been taken of alleged financial irregularities in the public broadcaster.

Bhatnagar, who is at loggerheads with CEO B.S. Lalli and had resigned in May, stated in the affidavit that his resignation has not been accepted till date.

Before adjourning the matter for July 22, the bench headed by Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah said that the CEO could not overshadow the board.

“The court would have to demarcate the powers of the board and the CEO,” it observed before giving Lalli a week’s time to file a response to Bhatnagar’s affidavit.

Earlier the court has asked Lalli to function strictly within Section 5 of the Prasar Bharati Act which states that he shall exercise such powers and discharge such functions as the board may delegate to him.

The goings-on in the 10-member board reached the high court after Lalli accused Bhatnagar of circulating inaccurate and slanted minutes of a board meeting held in January.