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COMMUNICATIONS
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COMMUNITY RADIO SETS
Community radio sets play an important role as a powerful medium of education and enlightenment of the masses. They are also helpful in the campaign of rural education which is propagated through programmes broadcast from the Akashvani. Under the Rural Broadcasting Contributory Scheme of the Government of Maharashtra,
community radio sets are supplied to grampanchayats or other organised bodies in villages. The Rural Broadcasting Department, which is in charge of implementation of the scheme, installs radio sets and provides for maintenance and repairs of the sets. The concerned parties are required to contribute Rs. 175 for a dry battery set and Rs. 150 for an electric set initially. They have also to contribute Rs. 60 for maintenance, repairs, provision of dry batteries and radio licences for the sets every year.
Ownership of the community radio sets rests with the Government. The sets are meant exclusively for the use of village people. The listeners are required to tune programmes for villagers relayed from the Akashvani (All-India Radio).
TABLE No. 5-RURAL BROADCASTING STATISTICS IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT AS ON 31ST MARCH 1970 AND 31ST MARCH 1971
|
Taluka |
Number of villages having community radio sets |
Number of radio farm forums |
|
31st March |
31st March |
31st March |
31st March |
|
1970 |
1971 |
1970 |
1971 |
|
Kopargaon |
50 |
50 |
1 |
1 |
|
Akola |
135 |
152 |
-- |
-- |
|
Sangamner |
137 |
137 |
2 |
2 |
|
Shrirampur |
60 |
62 |
-- |
-- |
|
Rahuri |
59 |
59 |
-- |
-- |
|
Nevasa |
110 |
117 |
-- |
-- |
|
Shevgaon |
54 |
68 |
-- |
-- |
|
Parner |
103 |
103 |
-- |
-- |
|
Ahmadnagar |
95 |
95 |
5 |
6 |
|
Pathardi |
38 |
43 |
8 |
8 |
|
Shrigonda |
67 |
74 |
1 |
1 |
|
Karjat |
67 |
67 |
1 |
1 |
|
Jamkhed |
55 |
55 |
1 |
1 |
|
District Total |
1,030 |
1,094 |
19 |
20 |
The above table shows that during the year 1966-67, 62 new villages were provided with radio sets by the Directorate of Rural Broadcasting, and thus the total number of such villages had increased to 774 out of the total of 1,318. The number of radio farm forums, however, was only 130 at the end of March 1967. Villagers are encouraged to form such forums which are expected to enable them to hold discussions on topics affecting their own interest.
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