No DTH to DD, rules EC

NEW DELHI, JULY 27: Defining the limits of decision-making for the caretaker government, the Election Commission today gave its ruling on...

NEW DELHI, JULY 27: Defining the limits of decision-making for the caretaker government, the Election Commission today gave its ruling on a number of government proposals, saying no to DTH and the amendment of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act but allowing the disinvestment of VSNL.

Describing the proposal for granting licence to Doordarshan for exclusive operation of direct-to-home for five years as a “major policy decision in the broadcasting sector,” the three-member Commission turned down the proposal saying the issue should await the new government after the general elections.

The EC felt that DTH being a matter of vital interest in the area of media policy of the government, the right forum for a full debate and appropriate decision is the Parliament.

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The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had approached the Commission with a proposal for granting licence to Doordarshan for exclusive operation of DTH for 5 years.

Similarly, the I&B Ministry had also sought the Commission’s approvalfor an amendment to the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, through an ordinance to make it compulsory for satellite cable operators to beam DD-I and DD-2 channels.

Noting that most national parties had strong reservations on the issue of decision-making through ordinances when the country is in an election mode, the EC rejected the proposal considering it “inappropriate” for the government to promulgate an ordinance at this juncture.

In the case of VSNL, the Commission gave the go-ahead for the Finance Ministry’s proposal for disinvestment by way of retail offering of one million shares in the domestic market.

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Another proposal turned down by the EC is that of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports to constitute a National Reconstruction Corps. Bankrolled by funds from the Contingency Fund of India, the ambitious plan would have created jobs for some 8,000 volunteers and an additional 800 coordinators.

With the Model Code of Conduct in operation, the Commission felt that such large-scaleemployment creation after the announcement of the election schedule “would not be in order.”