Regional DD transmitter to be replaced by Jan'08

Jalpaiguri, Sep 9 (UNI) The regional transmitter beaming Doordarshan programmes in the northern parts of West Bengal from Jalpaiguri would be replaced with a higher-capacity version by January 2008, Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi said here today.

The Minister announced this while inaugurating a daily one-hour-slot of telecast of DDK.

Mr Dasmunsi, on this occasion, directed the DDK Jalpaiguri authorities to begin an annual North Bengal Talent Competition from December this year to enable the local and regional artists to prove their musical acumen on national level.

With regard to the ongoing celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Independence, two separate rounds of cultural presentations would be held in December this year at Raigunj and Jalpaiguri. Award winning films, documentaries and cultural shows by the Song and Drama Division and other befitting events would be held at both the places, Mr Dasmunsi said.

He said his Ministry was consolidating efforts to launch Rabindra Sangeet in all the regional languages and in Hindi. On Gandhi Jayanti Lata Mangeshkar would present the Nobel-laureate's songs in Hindi on DD National, he informed. From January 2008 the national channel would launch a monthly night show of one hour, dedicated to special classical soirees by eminent musicians and singers, the Minister added.

UNI