Governor Satya Pal Malik today distributed DD Free Dish Set Top Boxes among identified beneficiaries at an impressive function at SKICC Srinagar. A total of 30,000 Set Top Boxes are being distributed by Information and Broadcasting Ministry in the State.
On the occasion, Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister ofInformation and Broadcasting, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, who waspresent as Guest of Honour, launched the Signature Tune of DD Kashir composedby Rahul Sharma which resonates with the cultural ethos of the State, a RajBhavan spokesman said.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge),Ministry of Development of North East Region; MoS Prime Minister’s Officelaunched the Dogri News Bulletin which will be aired at 6:15 pm everyday on DDKashir.
During his address, Governor congratulated the Informationand Broadcasting Ministry for taking the initiative of reaching out to thepeople through Free Dish receivers.
Governor observed that the today’s event marks a significantmilestone for making a head start towards achieving the goal of reaching out tothe people living in the far flung and border areas through the platform of DDFree Dish. He said that through these set top boxes, authentic information willbe disseminated to the border residents where connectivity has always remainedan issue.
Governor observed that Doordarshan has truly lived up to theresponsibility bestowed upon it and the Kendra at Srinagar has been performingits duties despite many challenges. It is playing an important role byrepresenting the local culture through its programmes and reaching the peoplewith unbiased information, he added.
Governor noted that DD Kashir has become popular in thestate because of its good content and adding programmes in Dogri and Ladakhilanguages will strengthen the composite culture of the state.
Underscoring the importance of public outreach, Governorappreciated the officers of the State Administration for reaching out to therural population through the “Back to Village” programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Praksh Javadekar said thatDoordarshan is a credible source of information besides being the biggestDirect To Home (DTH) Operator that connects millions of people across thecountry.
Javadekar informed that from today DTH set top boxes shallbe distributed free under a scheme across the country.
The Union Minister said that Information and Entertainmenthave become the basic requirement in day to day life and free DTH set top boxeswill prove to be vital in meeting the aspirations of the people especiallythose living in border areas.
There are 25 crore households in the country with 18 croreTV sets and this initiative will also help in bridging the gap, he maintained.He also congratulated the entire DD Kashir team for gaining popularity in theState.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, while speaking on the occasion, stressedon developing and promoting regional languages. He stressed that in order todevelop any language, two things are important – the pride felt in speakingthat language and the literature of that language.
Dr. Singh said that with the launch of Dogri News Bulletinon satellite medium, Dogri language will reach people across the world. He saidthat the composite culture and literature of J&K will also get a boost asKashmiri, Dogri and Ladakhi languages will be available on the same channel.
K Vijay Kumar and K Skandan, Advisors to Governor, AmitKhare, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, B V R Subrahmanyam, ChiefSecretary, GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, Dr. A. Surya Prakash, ChairmanPrasar Bharati were present among other dignitaries on the occasion.
Supriya Sahu, Director General Doordarshan delivered thewelcome address. The event commenced with the lighting of the lamp by thedignitaries.
A cultural dance performance along with a live Muppet showfeaturing popular characters from a children show Galli Galli Sim Sim telecaston DD Kashir were presented on the occasion.
A short film comprising of clips from archives showcasingthe journey of DD Kashir and a video clip on Dogri New Bulletin were alsoscreened for the audience. The event also witnessed the presence of largenumber of students.