Not a pretty picture

 

 

Doordarshan has turned into a beehive of bureaucratic machinations. These days the hottest topic of discussion in the corridors of Shastri Bhavan, which houses the information and broadcasting ministry, and the plush cabins of Mandi House revolves around DD mandarins and their many legal battles. Indeed, most cases currently in the high court and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) are related to babus on the Prasar Bharti rolls.

Their complaints are of various hues. Somebody is miffed that a junior officer has been brought in from outside and placed over him in the hierarchy. Others question the integrity of the CEO of the Prasar Bharti board, accusing him of using the government machinery to serve his personal ends.

Doordarshan is a veritable labyrinth manned by two sharply divided groups. While one camp is of old Doordarshan hands, the other is led by senior bureaucrats who are here on Central deputation. The bone of contention is said to be the declining quality of programmes. But there is definitely more to the tussle than meets the eye.

Officials of the I&B ministry, under whose purview Prasar Bharti falls, believe that the primary reason behind the current mess is the absence of Service Rules for the Prasar Bharti staff. “In the absence of concrete guidelines and Service Rules, the CEO is using his powers at his own discretion. People who are out of favour are bearing the brunt,” laments Raj Narayan Bisaria, one of the members of the board, while talking to TSI.

Sections of the Mandi House bureaucracy are particularly unhappy with the way in which several officers on deputation have either jumped seniority or have been appointed despite the fact they do not fulfil the criteria for the post that they occupy. It is believed that they have landed these jobs because of political connections and the intervention of the CEO. The disgruntled elements believe that better candidates are available within Doordarshan itself.

In the firing line are three officers: deputy director-generals Rita Kumar and PK Pathak, and additional director-general Mukesh Kumar. Insiders say that senior members of Prasar Bharti like Deepa Chandra, Rama Kant Shamar, Ashok Tripathi, BM Bakshi and others are better qualified than Rita Kumar. A few of these aggrieved officers have appealed to either a court or CAT against the appointment.

MV Kamath, erstwhile chairman of Prasar Bharti, was the first to raise the banner of revolt against such appointments. He had sought the cancellation of all such appointments. He had openly alleged that for the post of DDG, rules were violated and qualified candidates were overlooked to guarantee that the plum posting went to undeserving officers who were willing to toe the CEO’s line. Although the matter is still in the courts, ad hoc appointments have not stopped. In a letter addressed to the CEO BS Laali, Kamath has commented that DDG (Administration and Finance) Rita Kumar has no prior exposure to either journalism or personnel management. In fact, she was previously an executive officer with the Infrastructure Corporation of the Delhi government where her expertise was limited to the sale and distribution of liquor. Since, according to the commercial code of Doordarshan, advertisements related to liquor cannot be aired, Kamath believes that her expertise is of no use to the organisation. Kumar’s interim appointment was later confirmed even though the matter was subjudice.

Similarly PK Pathak, who has been appointed DDG, was earlier working as a director in the home ministry under BS Laali. His primary work was to look after the setting up of a barb-wire fence on the Indo-Bangladesh border. Kamath, in his letter to Laali, has said that Pathak’s personal loyalty to the latter was not a sufficient criterion for his appointment as DDG in Prasar Bharti. Talking about these appointments, Kamath told TSI that both the appointees had no prior experience or expertise in broadcasting and the board was kept in the dark about this. Had things been made clear to the board, the posts would have gone to officers from inside Prasar Bharti. Kamath has termed these appointments illegal and has demanded their termination.

He also referred to the minutes of the 55th meeting of the board where a proposal, asking to automatically promote an existing senior director to the post of DDG, was passed. Kamath had asked Laali to take up these matters on priority basis but before anything moved, he completed his term.

However, people sitting on the other side of the fence have a different story to tell. Sunil Dang, another member of the board, told TSI that the CEO had not violated any rules and all the appointments had been done in accordance with the Prasar Bharti Act. Dang asserted that names of officers from inside Prasar Bharti were taken into consideration first. It was only in the second round that the board asked for the list from the department of personnel and training.

Bisaria, on the other hand, wonders why there are so many cases in CAT and the high court if rules were not violated. He fully agrees with the objections that were raised by Kamath.

Another name in the mess is that of ADG Mukesh Sharma, who was serving as deputy director with ONGC prior to the appointment. It is alleged that he has failed to submit the certificate indicating his ‘last drawn salary’ and is still drawing the prescribed ‘minimum salary’.

Cases related to transfer are no different. Those in the good books of the bosses stay in one post or station for as long as a decade and a half. Others are given “punishment” postings in places like Kohima. Dr Mahesh Joshi, senior Director with Bangalore Doordarshan, was transferred merely four years after his appointment. Joshi promptly moved a court. He also filed an RTI asking for the list of officials who were serving in one station for more than six years.

Prasar Bharti, in its reply, admitted that there were 62 such appointments. Prasar Bharti, in its circular A-10-40-2007, clearly asked DG of Akashvani and Doordarshan to make a list of officials who have overstayed and had further asked them to facilitate their transfers as soon as possible.

The most startling revelation in the RTI was about the Delhi Kendra where as many as two dozen officers were stationed for more than seven years. Among them DG AIR Mitali Chakravarti, JK Das, K Subramaniam and Santosh Sharma have stayed in Delhi for 10 to 15 years. Similarly, Delhi Doordarshan DG L Mandloi, Dr Nilima, Kuber Dutt, Barkat Zaman and Madhu Mathur have lasted between seven and 10 years.

Bisaria stresses that if this situation prevails at the headquarters, one can well imagine what happens in the regional Doordarshan centres. He insists that the ministry is aware of the facts against Laali but is unable to do anything because it is being fed with one-sided stories. And when Laali is himself the messenger, it is not surprising that things have been drifting.

However, I&B Minister Ambika Soni, has told TSI that all matters under the ministry's purview are being taken care of. Insiders are hopeful she will surely take the right steps to rescue Prasar Bharti from this morass.