COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNITY RADIO SETS

Radio is one of the most potent mass media of the modern age. With a radio set in the vicinity the farmer in the most interior place or an adivasi in the most inaccessible forest village does not feel that he is isolated from the rest of the world.

To popularise the radio and to educate the rural populace, the Government of Maharashtra have introduced in the State many schemes. A few of the schemes under the Directorate of Rural Broadcasting are as under: —

(1) Scheme of community receiving sets on a contributory basis.

(2) Scheme of supply of free sets to Adivasi villages.

(3) Koyna warning scheme.

(4) Scheme of Radio Rural Forum.

(5) Pilot scheme for manufacture of community radio sets at Bombay.

(6) Scheme of group listening.

As can be seen from the above list, schemes (2) and (3) are opera-ting in areas suitable for the purpose. Scheme (5) is in operation in Bombay.The details of the other schemes arc given blow:—

The Government of Maharashtra introduced some years back, the scheme of community listening on a cost-sharing basis. The community receiving sets are manufactured as per the specifica-tions prescribed by the Government of India. The contributory scheme is implemented as follows:—

Initial contribution from the Gram Panchayat towards installa-tion charges:—

Thus initially, a Gram Panchayat has to pay Rs. 265 or Rs. 240 according to its demand for transistor or mains operated set.

A daily programme is broadcast by the Nagpur station of the All India Radio for the villagers, so also there are special programmes for Nabhovani Shetkari Mandal which have a marked accent on latest techniques of crop cultivation, poultry farming, cattle breeding, fruit growing, etc., in addition to entertainment and news. All these and other programmes are available for tuning on the community radio receiver.

In Buldhana district, radio sets installed under the contributory scheme numbered 685 as on 31st March 1969. There are three Rural Broadcasting Officers to look after the radio needs of the district at present.

They are as under:—

The contributory radio scheme has covered about 50 per cent of the villages in the district so far.

Under the scheme of Rural Radio Forums a Regional Organiser, attached to the Divisional Office, organises forums in the villages having community sets. These forums consist of about 20 mem-bers drawn from different strata in the village. This forum listens to the special programmes on Tuesdays, Fridays and carries on a discussion on the topic. There are 111 Rural Radio Forums under this scheme as given below:—

This scheme has been found to be very encouraging to many farmers as their difficulties regarding and techniques and methods in farming and associated matters are quickly and authoritatively answered over the radio.

Under the Fourth Five-Year Plan, another new scheme called Group Listening has been introduced by the Government of Maharashtra in the State. This scheme enables organisations like Vanita Mandal, Sanskara Kendras, etc., to get a community set for their organisation. These sets are specially designed to serve a group of about 15 to 20 persons. This scheme also is on a cost sharing basis offering additional listening facilities to ladies and others.

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