Both ministries are undeterred by the fact that running a television channel does not conform to their area of focus or core competence. Concerned officials insist that the channels will help them reach out to their target group in a more focused manner.

While the Agriculture Ministry was the first to approach the Information and Broadcasting Ministry with its proposal, the Small Scale Industries Ministry has also recently pitched in with its own and held preliminary meetings with I&B officials. “We are there to give inputs and help everyone. But it has been pointed out to them that they neither have the basic infrastructure nor the expertise to run 24x7 TV channel,” an I&B Ministry official said.

The Agriculture Ministry wants its dedicated television channel to focus on the information needs of farmers and the agro-sector. It aims to cover topics ranging from latest development in crop patterns and seeds to weather and future projections, fluctuations in the domestic and international markets, credit availability and expert advice all rolled into one.

At present, the ministry runs language-specific and region-specific Krishi Vikas kind of programmes through Doordarshan’s regional networks to cater to the needs of local farmers. As for the Small Scale Industries Ministry, Minister Mahavir Prasad is keen to address the growing needs of the ailing SSI sector which is under serious threat from big businesses. The ministry hopes the channel will carry news about the small-scale sector to a large audience and, in turn, the consumer.

What seems to be bothering the I&B Ministry, which is primarily responsible for generating and regulating news content from the government end, is that this could have a cascading effect with other ministries joining in with similar proposals. Already, many ministries have broken out of I&B’s control and have issued their own advertisements directly. The fact the Doordarshan’s equipment and facilities are already inadequate and there is need for immediate funds for technical upgradation, is adding to the I&B Ministry’s fears.