:: Dilip Cherian

Prasar Bharati: Act Two

By Dilip Cherian

Apr 19 : The goings-on at Prasar Bharati, the national public broadcaster, continue to make waves. B.S Lalli, the controversial CEO of Prasar Bharati, who has been indicted by the central vigilance commission (CVC) and a Standing Committee of Parliament for a series of alleged financial irregularities, has failed to ensure that the minutes of a crucial board meeting held in January are withdrawn. The board had decided to revoke his executive powers. Consequently, union leaders and other staff members have demanded that Mr Lalli be suspended immediately and an enquiry initiated against him.

But Mr Lalli tried to convey that the minutes were distorted and cannot be considered since it was a "special" and not "general" meeting. But sources say that the Prasar Bharati Act has no concept of special meetings. The chairman convenes every meeting where the CEO, like other members, has no role to dictate the agenda.

That clearly has not worked. Sources say that this prolonged drama may be approaching the final act now. Prasar Bharati chairman, also a former defence secretary, Arun Bhatnagar convened a meeting on April 15 to review the issue. Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women, which is investigating charges of alleged sexual exploitation against Mr Lalli, too fixed the hearing for the case on April 14. So it’s not just Mr Lalli who is wondering what will happen next in this sarkari soap opera.

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Poll-shy babus

Election time usually means election duty for my favourite tribesmen, except for those who are not in the fray themselves. Interestingly, even as poll fever rises across the country, the Haryana government is grappling with a epidemic of a different kind. Apparently the babus chosen for election duty are showing a strange averseness for the task. According to sources, the state government is getting requests from these babus seeking exemption from poll duty on such grounds as "family circumstances".

The Election Commission has picked 28 babus from the initial list of 39 officers for election duty. Sources say that at least 10 babus expressed their inability to accept the task. Unfortunately it turns out, their replacements themselves have now sought exemption or otherwise expressed "non-availability".

Though there is no dearth of names who can be enlisted for poll duty, the government is running out of time, say observers. The Election Commission is soon to allot states and areas where these officers will be posted during elections. The final list contains 28 names, including R.R. Fuliaya, S.S. Prasad, R.P. Chander, S.K. Gulati and P.R. Vishnoi, among others. Most of these babus are from the 1984 to 1989 batches. But if the trend continues, the list is likely to change.