Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 21: Established over 19 and 11 years back respectively to counter the Pak propaganda and promote the local languages and culture of the area, the local Radio Station, Poonch and Programme Generating Facility (PGF) of DD Kendra at Rajouri are yet to be made properly functional.
According to sources, the Radio Station, Poonch was established in 1994 by then Union Minister, Rajesh Pilot to counter the Pak propaganda on the constant demand of patriotic people of this border district but it failed to come to the expectations of the people as no such programme was started from the Station since then.
Presently faced with shortage of staff, the Radio Station Poonch, which has a sanctioned Post of Director, three Transmission Executives and one Programme Executive besides other staff is being handled by one Programme Executive (PeX) who is assisted by one TreX, sources added.
Sources said the failure of Information and Broadcasting Ministry to post the staff in the Radio Station Poonch has made it handicapped as it is the only station which runs its programmes in the evening. Though the Station was set up to counter the Pak propaganda in this border belt, it has failed in its duty as after its establishment three radio stations were set up by Pakistan across the LoC in Poonch Sector, which are audible in this side of Kashmir, sources added.
Sources said there is no morning transmission from this Station, which is the only source of entertainment for the people in this hilly belt as well as Army guarding the borders.
Sources said the three transmissions run by Pakistan across the LoC after the establishment of the Radio Station at Poonch included Voice of Kashmir, F M 100 Rawalkote and another station, but the FM Station established by the Ministry of I&B could not go ahead with those programmes for which it was meant.
Sources said that there is also no provision of news broadcasting from this station and news of Radio Kashmir Jammu (RKJ) and Radio Kashmir Srinagar (RKS) are relayed from this station. At 5pm Gojri News from RKJ is relayed which is followed by Dogri news of RKJ at 6-15 pm and Urdu news from RKS at 7-15 pm, sources added.
Sources said the only programme for people across the LoC which is relayed from this Station is Wadi Ki Awaz at 8pm to 8-30pm. The Station which starts transmission at 3pm closes at 10 pm in night daily.
The position of PGF Rajouri constructed at a cost of over Rs 80 crore in 2002 under NDA rule to counter the Pak propaganda and promote the regional languages is also in no way better, sources said, adding the Station has not been made properly functional even over 11 years of its establishment.
Even after the formal inauguration of the Kendra by MP, Jammu Poonch Constituency, Madan Lal Sharma and Minister of Forests Mian Altaf in April 2011, it is not working on regular basis due to shortage of staff. Despite the pleas of the local people and leaders, to the Union Government in general and Ministry of I&B in particular, the Centre has failed to post the required staff in PGF Rajouri to make it fully functional, sources added.
The position of this PGF at present is that small duration programmes in Dogri and Gojri languages are being recorded there and telecast from DD Jammu. This has killed the main purpose for which the PGF was established by the Government. The machinery worth crores of rupees which has been installed in the PGF is presently gathering dust and the objective of its construction has not been achieved, sources added.
Sources said the Station faces total dearth of technical staff and no efforts were made by I&B authorities to post the staff there despite the repeated pleas by the people.
Sources said presently the PGF Rajouri functions for three days every month after a team of technical staff from DDK Jammu comes to Rajouri to record the programmes in Pahari and Gojri languages. Later these programmes are telecast from DDK Jammu.
But these programmes involving local artists, scholars, politicians etc are not available to over 80 percent population in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for whom they are being made, sources added.
It may be recalled that PGF Rajouri in 2002 was constructed by NDA Government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee on the demand of local people to counter the Pak propaganda and also promote Gojri and Pahari languages, spoken mainly in the twin districts as the National channels had no reach in the area.
However when contacted the Station Director, D D K Jammu Shabir Mujahid said that the PGF Rajouri was inaugurated after he took over as Director. He said that due to dearth of technical staff the Station can’t be made fully functional. But the local programmes in Gojri and Pahari languages are being recorded at Rajouri PGF and telecast from Jammu DDK.
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