NEW DELHI: All India Radio would be commissioning of two new Shortwave Solid State digital transmitters of 100 kW power each for the dissemination of content across the border for Afghanistan- Pakistan region by the end of August 2017. The transmitters shall be installed in Delhi.

For the Andaman and Nicobar, a new 100 W FM transmitter would be installed in Car Nicobar by the end of the financial year.

This was stated by Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in a meeting held yesterday to review the functioning of the media units of Ministry of I&B located in the Union Territories.

MoS Rajyavardhan Rathore, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ministry Secretary N K Sinha, representatives from UTs and senior officers from Ministry were also present during the meeting.

During the review meeting, Naidu announced that to enhance the outreach, the 3KW FM transmitter in Daman would be replaced by 6KW transmitter. Similarly, in Karaikal, Puducherry, the present 6 KW FM transmitter would be replaced by 10 KW FM transmitter to enhance the reach.

Highlighting the importance of communication in local dialects, Naidu urged the UTs to give emphasis to setting up of community radio stations in UTs. He also mentioned the liberalised subsidy of 75 per cent by Central Government for stakeholders in this regard.