Make Gangtok Doordarshan centre operational: Oppositions

Gangtok, Apr 26 (UNI) Five opposition parties in Sikkim have set the second week of next month as the deadline for Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry to make the Gangtok Dordarshan Kendra operational.

The opposition leaders today said that they had sent a memorandum to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi reminding him of his earlier assurances of setting up a fully functional Doordarshan Kendra.

Leaders of three national political parties - Congress, BJP, CPI-M and two regional parties - Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad(SHRP) and Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party(SGPP) threatened to resort to ''peaceful means of pressurising'' the Centre if it failed to concede to their demand within the stipulated period.

The leaders alleged that the Kendra had failed to operate due to pressure by the state on the Centre in not making it operational.

They further added that state did not want the Kendra to operate as it feared that it would put an end to the monopoly that Nayuma, a private TV channel, enjoyed.

The leaders alleged that though the Union Minister had assured to open the Kendra, no step had yet been taken in this regard so far.

UNI