New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) With infighting in the Prasar Bharati board showing no sign of ending, the government Monday said it has ordered a special audit of the public broadcaster over the functioning of the board and other financial issues linked to it.
“The government has ordered a special audit of the Prasar Bharati on general accounting issues, including the issue of the functioning of Prasar Bharati and its board and special financial issue as per the complaints of the member (finance) of Prasar Bharati,” Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting C.M. Jatua told the Rajya Sabha.

He was responding to questions on the functioning of the public broadcaster.

Jatua told the upper house that the government has received copies of letters from member of the Prasar Bharati Board and its CEO B.S. Lalli.

“These letters are in the nature of allegations regarding irresponsible behaviour of the chairman, CEO and members of the board, manner of fixing dates for the board meetings, finalisation and issue of minutes in departure from the past practices, financial irregularities and systemic problems indicating disharmony among the board members,” Jatua said.

Jatua, however, denied that there was any proposal for establishment of a regulatory authority for the smooth functioning of Prasar Bharati.

The bitter infighting among Prasar Bharati board members has turned into a big embarrassment for the government which is mulling different options to bring some order into the functioning of the public broadcaster that controls Doordarshan and All India Radio.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni had submitted a report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September over the allegations and counter-allegations that board members have levelled against each other.