ARTI SAHULIYAR

Ranchi, May 26: Help for villagers is on air.

The rural folk can now learn to handle corruption, irregularities of school teachers, mid-day meals and also get information about government schemes like the Indira Awas Yojna and old age pension through their radios.

The FM community radio station at Meral block, Garhwa district, would be their guide. Experts would talk about education, health and other government-related programmes.

All this would be possible through Alternative for India Development (AID), an NGO, that has got a licence from the ministry of information and broadcasting to set up the community radio station. It will have a range of around 15km, thus covering 10 blocks of Garhwa and Palamau districts — around 100 panchayats and 500 villages.

It would be an independent FM community radio station. “Local programmes related to the economy and governance programmes will be aired,” said Alok Singh, the programme co-ordinator of the community radio.

Farmers could also redress problems regarding primary health centres and absence of anganvadi sevikas.

Besides, licence is only given to non-profit organisations like NGOs, schools and other institutions. “Ours is the only institution in the state that has got the licence. We have also conducted a survey in 500 villages and 100 panchayats of around 10 blocks across a population of 4 lakh,” Singh told The Telegraph.

The new station is already running six community radio programmes in the neighbouring Orissa.

Licences are being provided all over the country for the setting up community FM radio stations. “Earlier, the liberalisation policy of the government led to the granting of licences to other institutions, besides educational institutions like Annamalai and IITs,” he added.

Village-based community programmes are running since the Chale Ho Gaon Mein radio show that started in the Palamau and Garhwa districts. It is aired through an FM station in Daltonganj on Wednesdays and Sundays between 7.15pm and 7.45pm.

After the success of this programme, the concept was duplicated in Jamshedpur in Santhali and Bengali languages and also in Chaibasa in the Ho language. While in Khunti the programme took off in Mundari language and was aired in Ranchi on Thursdays at 6.30pm, said the state co-ordinator.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080527/jsp/jharkhand/story_9323497.jsp