State govt okays two channels for legislature

MUMBAI: The state government has given its nod to two TV channels for the state legislature.

MUMBAI: The state government has given its nod to two TV channels for the state legislature.

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The channels, which are expected to go live in a year, will telecast the House proceedings and various schemes of the state government. It will operate on the lines of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV channels.

To operate the channel, the state government will bear the initial cost of Rs35 crore and eventually pay Rs12 crore as annual recurring cost.

At a meeting chaired by Ramraje Nimbalkar and attended by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat and speaker Haribhau Bagde, it was decided that this proposal will soon be presented before the state cabinet and subsequently, to the central cabinet.

“If approved by the Centre, Maharashtra will be the first state to start its own channels. Besides, the permission for the spectrum and earth station, there are about 20 other permissions from various state and central government departments that have to be obtained,” said an officer from the state legislature.

“Broadcast Engineering Consultant India Limited, the central government undertaking, is the consultant for the project. It will help us in operations by providing us the manpower and know-how. The consultant has given us a go-ahead for our plan of two studios at the basement of Vidhan Bhavan and earth station in the premises,” the official said.