Rs 600 crore set aside for Prasar Bharati revamp

Of the Rs 1,100 crore estimated for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Rs 600 crore has been set aside for the recently announced Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) Scheme, which has a total outlay of over Rs 2,500 crore.

Under the scheme, which was approved by the Union Cabinet last month, the government will expand the coverage of All India Radio’s FM channels to more than 80 per cent of the country’s population, while also distributing eight lakh DD Free Dish Set Top Boxes to people living in remote, tribal, Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and border areas.

The scheme aims to boost public sector broadcasting in the country and focuses on infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati, including All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).