Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today commissioned Low Power FM Transmitters of capacity of 100 Watt at 91 locations. These transmitters of have been installed in 84 districts of 20 states. With this the network of transmitters with All India Radio has increased from 524 to 615. The addition will further boost the coverage of AIR to 73.5% of the population of the country.

Left Wing Extremism hit areas, Aspirational Districts and border areas of the country have been given priority for the installation of the transmitters.

Clear sound quality and easy availability of FM receiver equipped mobile phones has increased the demand of FM radio service in the country. In another major step towards meeting this demand and capacity building of the organisation, Government has further approved installation of 63 more FM transmitters in the country.

The Prime Minister congratulated All India Radio on this momentous occasion. Speaking about the significance of the addition, the Prime Minister said that today marks a significant step in the expansion of FM services by All India Radio in the direction of becoming All India FM. He underlined that the beginning of 91 FM transmitters by All India Radio is like a present for 85 districts and 2 crore people of the nation.

The Prime Minister said that the government is continuously working for the democratization of technology. “It is important that no Indian should feel scarcity of opportunity if India has to rise up to its full potential”, the Prime Minister said. Making modern technology accessible and affordable is key to this. He explained this by mentioning optical fiber to all the villages and the cheapest data cost that has eased access to information. He said that this has given a new push to digital entrepreneurship in villages. Similarly, UPI has helped small businesses and street vendors to access banking services.

The Prime Minister underscored the emotional connection of his generation with radio. “For me, there is an added happiness that I have a relationship with radio as a host too”, the Prime Minister said referring to the upcoming 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat. He said “This kind of emotional connect with the countrymen was possible only through the radio. Through this, I remained linked to the strength of the country and the collective power of the duty among the countrymen.” He elaborated on this point by giving examples of the role of the programme in initiatives like Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Har Ghar Tiranga which became a people’s movement through Mann Ki Baat. “Therefore, in a way, I am part of your All India Radio Team”, the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister underlined that the inauguration of 91 FM transmitters forwards the policies of the government that gives preference to the underprivileged who have been deprived of this facility so far. “Those who were considered to be distant will now get a chance to connect at a greater level”, the Prime Minister said. Listing out the benefits of FM transmitters, the Prime Minister mentioned relaying important information on time, community building efforts, weather updates related to agricultural practices, information on food and vegetable prices for the farmers, discussions about the loss incurred by the use of chemicals in agriculture, pooling of advanced machinery for agriculture, informing women self-help groups about new market practices and assisting the entire community during times of a natural calamity. He also mentioned the infotainment value of the FM.

The Prime Minister touched upon the dimension of linguistic diversity and informed that FM transmission will take place in all the languages and especially in the regions with 27 dialects. “This connectivity does not link just the tools of communications but it connects the people too. This is reflective of the work culture of this government”, said the Prime Minister highlighting the emphasis on social connectivity along with the promotion of physical connectivity.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister underlined the vision and mission of all communication channels like All India Radio and said that connectivity be it in any form, its purpose is to connect the country and its 140 crore citizens. He expressed confidence that all stakeholders will continue to move forward with this vision resulting in the strengthening of the country through continuous dialogue.

Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur addressed the gathering from Leh via video conferencing. Speaking about the achievement the Minister said the transmitters will act as a conduit to carry information about the programmes and policies of the government as well as entertainment related content to the corners of the country.

The Minister credited PM Modi for his push for expansion of radio connectivity in India and acknowledged the contribution of his Mann Ki Baat programme in endorsing the importance of Radio, which has been aptly captured in a survey by IIM Rohtak recently.

The Minster underlined that today Akashwani has the largest FM network in India and this network will carry the growth story of New India to every corner of the country.

Background

As part of the government’s commitment to enhancing FM connectivity in the country, 91 new 100W FM transmitters have been installed in 84 districts across 18 States and 2 Union Territories. A special focus of this expansion has been on enhancing coverage in Aspirational Districts and in border areas. The States and UTs which are covered include Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Ladakh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. With this expansion of AIR’s FM service, an additional 2 crore people will now be covered who did not have access to the medium. It will result in the expansion of coverage in about 35,000 sq km area.

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Saurabh Singh