Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) With the public broadcaster getting an interim CEO, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni Tuesday called for “a fresh start” and announced that the government was considering a new roadmap to energize Prasar Bharti.

The government was considering a new roadmap for taking new initiatives in the Prasar Bharti setup, Soni said at function here to release DVDs of Doordarshan Archives.

The initiatives would aim to firm up the mandate given to Prasar Bharti Corporation as a public broadcaster in the country, she said.

Soni also assured the employees of Prasar Bharti that issues concerning them would be looked into, and called upon them to make a resolve to initiate a fresh start during the new year.

Soni launched a set of DVDs, including Paintings of India, Path-breaking Dancer Sonal Mansingh and Secrets of Shastras revealed by Gurus.

The minister stressed upon an urgent need to centralize cataloguing, assimilation, preservation and restoration processes.

The method of disseminating archival information through popular mediums such as DVDs provided an entertaining tool and platform to ensure the continuity of cultures across different generations, she said.

Soni’s comments came a day after the Prasar Bharti board asked Rajiv Takru, additional secretary in the information and broadcasting ministry, to take over the responsibilities of the CEO of the national broadcaster.

Last month, the controversial CEO of Prasar Bharti, B.S. Lalli, was suspended pending an inquiry into allegations of financial irregularities.

The board also decided to set up five committees to handle various aspects of the organisation, including finance, personnel, production and content, project monitoring and implementation and strategy.