Naxal-affected states to get 100 All India Radio stations

The Centre will come up with 100 All India Radio (AIR) stations in Naxal-affected states in the country and the first radio station will be constructed at Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. The aim behind the move is to win the confidence of the people who are residing in the insurgency-hit areas.

“Private radio channels still fear setting up radio stations in Naxal-affected areas and that is one of the reasons we have decided that AIR itself will set up 100 radio stations by 2017 to tackle the menace of Naxalism in the country,” said minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore.

A week ago, the Centre had also mooted the plan to install 2,200 mobile towers in states that are Naxal affected.

“The government has also planned to expand the FM network in the country after which a city or town with a population of more than 1,00,000 should have at least three private FM channels and licences for the same will be granted,” said Mr Rathore.

On the same lines, Chhattisgarh police in 2015, had also had also planned to set up radio towers in their police stations itself so that the people staying in the villages could be made aware of what are they were being deprived of.

Furthermore, figures of the state government reveal that 48 Naxals surrendered in 2013, 40 in 2014 and 51 in 2015. Under the state government’s policy on Naxals, the surrender makes them eligible for compensation of Rs 5 lakh for rehabilitation.

On the backdrop of the Make in India event, Mr Rathore further said that the government has initiated schemes to promote indigenous production in the media and entertainment sector. We are also aiming to change the rules of film certification where government’s role would be limited to only certification and no censorship would be required.

A single-window clearance for the film shooting will be set up for which an agency office named the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) will be set up in the city. The panel of expertise from the film industry will be set up to get clearances.