AIR to start outreach programme on govt's flagship schemes

Come new year, All India Radio will launch an outreach programme on government's flagship schemes, including direct benefit transfer, where experts will give advice to the common man and in turn get a feedback on the implementation of programmes at the grassroot level.
The weekly 30-minute phone-in programme will be launched on January 4, 2014 and will continue for seven weeks, AIR's DG (News) Archana Dutta told PTI here today.
"We have decided to launch this phone-in programme to create general awareness," she said.
The programme is likely to be broadcast on Saturday afternoons for greater listenership.
Asked whether the feedback received from the grassroot level be used to fine tune the schemes, Dutta said, "It will also be seen how the feedback received can be channelised."

Earlier, such programmes were broadcast from the AIR headquarters but this time the public broadcaster decided to start it at 20 of its regional news units.

Broad topics chosen include rural employment, mobile telephony, scholarship schemes, welfare schemes for minorities, Aadhaar card, Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, Right to Information and Panchayati Raj.
The regional units from where the new programme will be broadcast include Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Raipur, Bhopal, Srinagar and Shillong.
The programme broadcast from these units will be relayed by other AIR stations in the states.
AIR correspondents will be the link between the scheme beneficiaries and the experts at the studio and help them ask questions.