I&B Ministry
Plan expenditure of Prasar Bharati mostly goes into technical equipment, Jaitley justifies revised estimates
New Delhi: Around 95% of the Plan expenditure of Prasar Bharati currently involves technical equipment and the endeavour is to provide momentum to technical infrastructure projects, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Arun Jaitley said today.
Answering a question in Parliament about Revised Estimates (REs), he said these are prepared to optimize utilization of allocated funds according to the progress of various projects and time schedule of supply of equipment/works.
Out of the REs during the last three years, reduction in RE during 2013-14 with reference to Budget Estimate (BE) of that year was marginal.
During 2014-15, reduction in RE was largely due to cancellation of tenders received on e-procurement portal, Cancellation of tenders on techno-commercial evaluation, delay in supply of equipment etc.
During the year 2015-16, RE was reduced due to various reasons such as time taken regarding decision on clustering & de-clustering of digital transmitters, non participation of bidders in tendering process etc.
The alternatives available for the technical/technology choices and the plan of action, with the chosen technology, require wide consultations which consume time and, to prevent sub-optimal choices, expenditure is postponed. This, at times, leads to reduction in plan expenditure at RE stage. This also was a contributing factor in the last two years.
Doordarshan follows rules & procedures based on the guidelines given in the Directorate General of Supplies & Disposals (DGS&D) Manual, GFR 2005 and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines for procurement of Capital equipment/Turnkey projects on Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning (SITC) basis etc.
Tenders are invited through e-procurement mode, as per the mandate of Ministry of Finance, and according to the Standard Bidding Document prescribed by the Prasar Bharati. Ministry/Prasar Bharati have no plans to follow the policy (ies) of private broadcasters in so far as procurement of equipment/finalization of tenders is concerned.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
