I&B Ministry issues clarification regarding release of fund to Prasar Bharti

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on March 2, 2018, said that fiscal prudence and accountability is the very fulcrum of the functioning of any Government organisation and Prasar Bharti is as much bound by the General Financial Rules (GFR) of the Government of India as any Ministry or any organisation receiving grants-in-aid from the Government.

As per the provision of GFR, any autonomous organisation receiving Grant-in-Aid must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry clearly bringing out the physical and financial targets with timelines for activities to be done by utilising the said grant during that financial year. For the record, irrespective of repeated reminders from the Ministry, no MoU has been signed by Prasar Bharti, said the I&B Ministry, according to a PIB release.

” It has come to the notice of the Ministry that a deliberate, sinister, motivated campaign has been launched by some elements to wrongfully tarnish the image of the Ministry of I&B by reporting that money to Prasar Bharti is not being released after December, 2017 as a retaliation to Prasar Bharti not obeying certain dictates of the Ministry. The misinformation is based on ill-will and incorrect appreciation with half baked facts and is tantamount to causing loss of reputation of the Government in public eyes,” the Ministry said.

By bringing in Human Resource Information System (HRIS) in Prasar Bharti, at repeated insistence of the Ministry, exact amount of expenditure on employees has been worked out and this has resulted in savings to the tune of nearly Rs 30 cr per month on the salary head (Rs. 360 crore a year), the I&B Ministry added. The Sam Pitroda Committee had also suggested a number of measures such as manpower audit etc. to enhance financial discipline, it said.

“However, the Ministry would like to re-iterate that the Government remains committed to protect the interest of all Prasar Bharti employees,” it said.