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Prasar Bharati members seek allowance hike
NEW DELHI: Part-time members of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati want the government to hike their allowances and foot the bills for their stay in five-star hotels.
NEW DELHI: Part-time members of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati want the government to hike their allowances and foot the bills for their stay in five-star hotels.
They are currently paid an allowance to attend board and committee meetings (sitting fee) in the capital, besides airfare. The hotel charges they incur during the duration of the meetings are also reimbursed.
Sources said a proposal has been mooted to revise the reimbursement, so that the members can stay in five-star hotels of their choice instead of the government-controlled India Tourism Development Corporation Limited’s Ashoka Hotel.
“Some members weren’t happy that the current reimbursement amount leaves them with no choice but to stay in Ashoka. They have asked for the allowances to be revised because they want to stay in five-star comfort,” a source said.
Significantly, Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar recently told the information and broadcasting ministry that the public broadcasting agency has witnessed a major slump in revenue over the years.
The proposal, which has found support in all the board members, is likely to be ratified at a meeting later this month. It was pointed out at a May 16 meeting that the board members’ sitting fee (allowance for attending meetings) and entitlement of hotel accommodation were decided long ago, and were due for a review.
A hike in the entertainment expenses paid to full-time members was also approved, and enhanced to Rs15,000 per month.
With the exception of the chairman and the CEO, part-time members are paid Rs 5,000 per meeting — subject to an annual ceiling of Rs 3 lakh. As per the proposed hike, these members will now be paid Rs 10,000 per meeting — subject to the same annual ceiling — and allowed to stay in a hotel of their choice. It was also proposed that the hotel stay reimbursement be raised from `8,250 to `15,000 per night.
The Prasar Bharati board comprises a chairman, an executive member (who is the chief executive officer), two members (finance and personnel) and six part-time members. Directors general of AIR and Doordarshan, besides representatives of the ministry of information and broadcasting, participate as ex-officio members.
“Reimbursements were first raised in 2011 at a board meeting, where members noted that the existing ceiling of Rs 5,000 on hotel accommodation for the members and the chairperson was on the lower side. Everybody reached a consensus that the existing ceiling should be disposed of, and hotel expenses should be on an actual basis,” said the source.
