GUWAHATI, Dec 28 - An eleven-member delegation of Producers� Council, an association of producers of films and television programmes, led by its general secretary Deepak Kr Dutta, called on Director General (DG) of Doordarshan Supriya Sahu at Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati on December 26 and submitted a memorandum demanding among other things, launch of a �DD Assam� 24x7 channel.
According to a press release issued here, the Council expressed deep anguish that even after 33 years of existence of DDK, Guwahati (March 24, 1985), the channel could not be upgraded to a 24x7 �DD Assam� channel, which has been a long-pending and legitimate aspiration and demand of the people of Assam.
The delegation rued that even smaller and newer states like Jharkhand have their own regional 24x7 DD channels. It also argued before the DG that a single �DD Assam� 24X7 channel is possible without putting any extra burden on its exchequer, by merging PPC (NE) with DDK, Guwahati with the existing infrastructure including machinery and human resources. Only that one programme head and one engineer would be required through either appointment or deputation.
The delegation informed the DG that the Producers� Council and 18 other organisations of the State like Asam Sahitya Sabha and Bodo Sahitya Sabha have made many deliberations and submitted memoranda to the Prime Minister, the Governor of Assam, the Chief Minister of Assam and to the Union I&B Minister on the matter. The Chief Minister had even taken the matter seriously and requested the Chairman of Prasar Bharati to do the needful. But other than assurances there has been no fruitful outcome so far, the release added.