I&B Ministry Vs PrasarBharati

Why in news?

Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has blocked funds meant for the salaries of the public broadcaster’s employees.

What is the rift about?

• PrasarBharati runs Doordarshan and All India Radio and has a staff strength of about 5,000.
• I&B ministry has not released funds for employees’ salaries for two months now January and February 2018.
• The amount of salaries totals about Rs400 crore.
• The amount has been paid out of internal and extra budgetary resources of the public broadcaster.

What is the reason for the rift?

• From Government’s side -PrasarBharati has refused to pay a fee of Rs 2.92 crore to a private firm, to which the National Film Development Corporation had outsourced live coverage of an event.
• PrasarBharati had blocked proposals for appointments and brushed aside a communication from the ministry calling for retrenchments.
• The sticking point was a ministry proposal to appoint a serving IAS officer as a full-time Board member through the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

• From PrasarBharati’s side -Earlier, PrasarBharati had refused to terminate contractual employees of the broadcaster on I&B ministry’s demand, calling it a “direct attack on the autonomy of the organisation”.
• PrasarBharati was repeatedly asked to let go of the contractual employees, which is the prerogative of the organisation not the ministry.
• I&B ministry also threatens the organization that funds will be blocked if the instructions are not followed.

What is the government’s stand on the recent rift?

• I&B ministry claims that PrasarBharati is as much bound by general financial rules of the government of India as any other ministry or organization receiving grants-in-aid from the government.
• As per the provision of general financial rules, any autonomous organization receiving grants-in-aid must sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the ministry.
• It clearly brings out the physical and financial targets with timelines for activities to be done by utilising the said grant during that financial year.

• Government also states that irrespective of repeated reminders from the ministry, no MoU has been signed by PrasarBharati.

Source: Live mint, Indian Express