GoM on Prasar Bharati defers meet to July 13

New Delhi, July 11: The GoM set up to look into the tricky issueof financial restructuring of the Prasar Bharati and deciding thestatus of its employees today had to defer its meeting for the fourthtime in a row.

The reason given was the non-availability of the Finance Ministerand the Minister of Personnel, who are also its members besides theMinister for Information and Broadcasting.

Earlier, the meeting scheduled for July three was put off becauseHome Minister Shivraj Patil, who heads the Group, was preoccupied withsome other work.

The meeting has now been slated for July 13, a senior Ministry official told UNI.

''Besides, the issue of the status of the Prasar Bharatiemployees, the GoM will also consider other measures like providing alicensing fee for TV and tax on new TV sets, and these measures are infact not somehing new. They are mentioned in the Prasar Bharati Act of1990 itself,'' said the official.

The GoM has to take a final decision about giving the employeesthe option to go back to the government or remain with the PrasarBharati.

Meanhwile, the employees have decided to intensify their agitation for tomorrow.

They demanded that the Act should be so amended as to keep theemployees and the asssets of AIR and Doordarshan with the Government,on lines of Railway Board.

The GoM has now to take a final decision on the status ofemployees by early August, as per the directions of the Supreme Court,which had in early February asked the government to do so within sixmonths. Thereafter, the matter was referred to a high-level Committeeof Officers.

As per Section 11 of the Prasar Bharati Act, an option has to begiven to the employees to remain with the broadcaster or go back to thegovernment.

The Committee of Secretaries, which had been appointed to studythe issue, is learnt to have given its report to the GoM, sources said.

UNI