How Much You Pay for Prasar Bharati.!
By:Joseph Martin CJ
It is a fact that the tax payers money in a democratic country needs to be spend in responsible manner .There is nothing wrong if the government of a democratic country trying to control and reduce the government expenditure ,keeping in mind the genuine interest of its citizens and the nation ,( with out sacrificing its social responsibilities towards the citizens).
Our concern here is restricted to Public Service broadcaster and National Broadcaster, Prasar Bharati. All over the world Pubic Broadcasters facing brutal axe on its funding by the governments, which became a serious threat to the quality of its services to their citizens and even a threat to their very existence itself.Prasar Bharati also going to face or facing the same scenario due to the government decision to fund only the fifty percentage of its operating expenses.
In this scenario let us examine how much tax payers valuable money our nation and its citizens paying for Prasar Bharati's (AIR&DD's) various diversified services .
On 09.03.2010, Hon’ble Minister of State for I&B Shri. Mohan Jatua, tabled in the Lok Sabha the following statement , regarding the details of income, expenditure and gap in income & expenditure of All India Radio & Doordarshan for the last four years as under: (STARRED QUESTION NO .166 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2010 in the LOK SABHA ,link to the statement http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/psearch/QResult15.aspx?qref=83283) .
Financial Year Income Expenditure Gap Between Expenditure & Income
2006-07 983.05
1954.67
971.62
2007-08
1035.86
2057.92
1022.06
2008-09
1096.78
2518.88
1422.10
2009-10
1119.00
3098.00
1979.00
Amount in Crore of Rupees,For the year 2009-10 figures are provisional.
If the income ,expenditure and gap between expenditure & income (Revenue deficit) of Prasar Bharati is calculated for the last four financial years it will be,
Average income ..................=1058.7Crore
Average expenditure ..........=2406.7Crore
Average Revenue deficit...=1348.0Crore.
Up to now this revenue deficit of Prasar Bharati was completely funded by the government and in effect this revenue deficit was the governments expenditure for Prasar Bharati.So the governments or tax payers average spending in the last four financial years for Prasar Bharati's services were 1348.00 Crore.
India the largest democracy in the world with second largest population,with an estimated population of 1.13 billion, (as per 2008 survey).The average expense per citizens/year towards Prasar Bharati in the last for years was 1348.00 Crore/113 Crore= 11.9 rupees /citizen/year only .
We want to ask the policy makers and the each citizen of this country to decide whether this just 11.9 rupees /citizen/year expenditure for Prasar Bharati and its services is justified or not?.
It is certain that, even those opposed to the very concept of Public Service Broadcasting and National Broadcasting, will agree that this expenditure of just 11.9 rupees /citizen/year for the Public Service Broadcaster and National Broadcaster of the largest democracy in the world is absolutely justifiable.
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