Media units must face the axe: ERC report

By Amitabh Parashar
NEW DELHI: In a very important recommendation, the Expenditure Reforms Commission (ERC) headed by former finance secretary of Government of India, KP Geetakrishnan, has proposed closing down several media units in the ministry of Information and Broadcasting to rationalise staff strength. The recommendations of the Geetakrishnan committee are being examined by the Vajpayee government and the decision is likely to be taken shortly.

To make Doordarshan and All India Radio leaner, the committee has suggested that the strength of these organisations be cut and government should abolish 7752 posts of C and D categories which are lying vacant in Prasar Bharti alone.

The committee has suggested a radical reform agenda in closing down Films Division, Children’s Film Society, National Film Archives of India, Directorate of Film Festivals, Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, Directorate of Field Publicity and Divisions related to song and drama, photo and publication.

The committee has observed that the government should not get involved in national and international film festival, which, it said, should be organised by the film industry with financial assistance from the government.

While suggesting the closure of Films Division, the committee has suggested that each ministry must have its own division for making documentaries for it.

The committee has also recommended that the government should not directly get involved with the production of feature films and it should support non-governmental organisations in the production of feature films for children.

The committee is all for closing down the Kottayam (Kerala), Jhabua (MP), Deemapur (Nagaland) and Dhen Kanal (Orissa) branches of Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC). But the one in Delhi has been given a clean chit.

Several media bodies of the Ministry have outlived their utility with the advent of the new satellite based media technologies and the entry of private operators in TV, radio, films, the committee has observed.

On the other hand the committee has recommended the strengthening and modernisation of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Decentralisation of various media activities has been suggested. It has been suggested that professionals take over the functions of closed units. The committee has also recommended disinvestment or winding up of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

The committee has projected that the centre’s wage bill on the I&B ministry will be cut by over half once the recommendations are implemented. Right now, the centre has to spend Rs 725.89 crore on over 50,000 employees in this ministry alone.