Earlier, while addressing reporters, he announced the ministry's plan to counter the onslaught of Pakistan Television by inaugurating transmitters all along the India-Pakistan border from Kargil to Kutch.

He said he had recently inaugurated three low power transmitters in Jammu and Kashmir and was here to commission three transmitters at Jamjodhpur, Radhanpur and Panandhro. There would be three more at Jasailmer, Jodhpur and Barmer in Rajasthan next week.

Mahajan said that since this was the first Indian war to be telecast on the electronic media, it was also in some aspects an information war. In view of this, he said it had become extremely necessary to increase the reach of DD and make it powerful in the border region. He said the ministry was also planning on long term bases to counter PTV.

Mahajan said that at present a study was being carried out by Doordarshan officials to identify the location and power of Pakistani transmitters across the border and on that basis powerful transmitters would be installed along the border so that villages could catch DD easily.

After a month, a blueprint of this project would be prepared and implemented, he added.

He pointed out that Pakistan had destroyed the All India Radio and DD stations in Kargil which indicated that they were also taking this information war seriously. Mahajan said a a 10 kilowatt mobile radio station had been set up in Kargil which was difficult to destroy.

On the Kargil situation, Mahajan said it was for Pakistan to choose between withdrawal or removal from the Indian side of LoC. If they chose not to withdraw after India's victory on Tiger Hill, then they would be thrown out, he asserted.

Mahajan felt that the patriotic fervour which was evident in the nation in the wake of Kargil crisis should be channelised by encouraging the youth to join the Army which has a short fall of 14,000 officers.

On the right to information promised by the BJP-led coalition government Mahajan said the Bill was almost ready but since now the Government had only caretaker status, it could not be introduced into the Lok Sabha.

Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya, who accompanied him, said the State Government had requested the Centre to solve the complications created by weak DD reception in the border areas of Kutch and Pramod Mahajan had responded to the call on a priority basis.

After the inauguration, the minister attended the cultural function organised by DDK Rajkot.

In Panandhro, 140 km from Bhuj, Mahajan inaugurated the State's first mobile TV transmitter. He said the height of the existing antenna of the Panandhro MLTV would be soon increased from 25 to 100 metres to increase coverage area in the border region. The 1000-ft Samatra relay tower would also start functioning by this month end, he said.

Mahajan also promised to set up a recording studio and open a PIB office at Bhuj if the BJP was returned to power.