The Union information and broadcasting secretary has written to the telecom secretary seeking a rollback of its five fold increase in spectrum fee for community radio stations in the country.
Official sources stated that the DoT has recently revised the spectrum fee from `19,000 per year to `91,000 per year. I&B secretary Uday Kumar Verma has, in his letter to DoT secretary R. Chandrashekhar, pointed out that community radio stations were non-profit organisations and the DoT should reconsider its decision. “This five-fold increase in the spectrum fee would have a crippling effect of the growth of community radio stations in the country as many organisations would find it impossible to meet this huge increase in charges,” the letter added while pointing out that the I&B ministry was not consulted on the issue.
The letter pointed out that the community radio is the thrust area for the ministry of I&B and the ministry had taken several initiatives to further their growth. Most community radio stations are already struggling for sustenance, the letter added.
“This increase will not only have an adverse impact on the existing radio station s it will also discourage those organisations which wish to apply for the first time for permission to start a community radio station,” it added.
“I would there fore request you to reconsider DoT’s decision to increase the fee and peg it at the old rate of `19,000 per annum to enable NGOs and non profit organisations to continue to operate their stations without any difficulty,” it added.