NEW DELHI: Parliamentary Committee has expressed concern that as many as 230 applications are pending for grant of licences for community Radio and the process for clearing the proposals is very slow.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology has however expressed satisfaction that a small scheme for strengthening the Community Radio Movement in India has been proposed in the Twelfth Plan.

At present, only 148 CRS are operational in the country and the Committee has been informed that the Scheme aims at setting up 100 new radio stations and supporting 30 existing CRSs..

At the outset, the Committee noted that Community Radio is a crucial communication tool particularly in communities where most people can neither read nor write and it provides an opportunity to community to speak about issues concerning their lives.

In view of importance of CRS as a low cost communication medium that can be leveraged for broadcasting local issues/messages in vernacular languages on issues of social concern by community organizations as well as the Government, the Committee says ‘there is an imperative need to find ways and means to make the scheme financially remunerative so as to attract more number of applicants for setting up of CRS.’

In its report laid in Parliament, the Committee is of the opinion that reputed universities/Government institutions can be provided financial and technical assistance to set up their own CRS on a pilot basis so as to popularize the concept which can be scaled up at a later stage.