Upgrade for hill AIR station

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 24 Nov 2019, Darjeeling : The Centre has decided to revoke its decision to decommission All India Radio's Short Wave transmitter in Kurseong that broadcasts programmes mostly in Nepali language.The AIR will instead installa 5 0KW digital SW transmitter.

On July 30, directorate general of the AIR had ordered the shutdown of 21 non-functional SW transmitters across the country, including the one 

in Kurseong. The Kurseong station was established in 1962 and has both SW and FM transmitions. Following the directorate general's order, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista had met Prakash Javadekar, Union information and broadcasting minister, in Delhi on August 5  with a request to upgrade the existing SW transmitter to Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)s transmitters. Anit Thapa, chairman, board of administrators, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, had also issued a statement Darjeeling airing their protest over the Centre's decision.

On Friday, Javadekar, in a written reply to Bista in the Lok Sabha stated: "Prasar Bharati has informed that project for replacement of outlived 50kW SW transmitter by 50kW digital SW transmitter at Kurseong has been approved. The process for replacement has been initiated.

Bista issued a written statement on Saturday: "I had appraised Javadekar ji that AIR Kurseong is the only radio station in the country that runs most of its program in Nepali, a language listed under the VIIIth Schedule of Constitution. The Darjeeling BJP MP also said that the radio station was considered an integral part of "our cultural heritage" and its role during the 1962 Indo-China war.

"Since its inception in 1962, Kurseong AIR has contributed immensely to connect the Nepali-speaking with the everyday happenings across the nation. In our region Kurseong radio station is considered as an integral part of our cultural heritage and this station has huge sentimental value and goodwill among the Nepali speaking communities around the world," Bista stated.

"Not many know that AIR Kurseong station has played a vital role in relaying information and keeping people updated during the 1962 Indo-China war," said Bista.