DDK Srinagar crippled by Rs 42 Cr backlog; Rs 27 Cr liability created in 2 months

Officials shifted on complaint basis lobbying for Kashmir posting

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 19: Embroiled in unprecedented backlog of Rs 42 Cr, Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Srinagar has completely shut its doors for hundreds of private producers, drama artists, singers, musicians and other talents who gave their sweat and blood to keep this station functional in the last 21 years of insurgency. It has been astonishingly found that just four particular officials of the station have created huge liability of Rs 27 Cr while clandestinely approving so-called in-house programmes of their favourites and relatives, allegedly on receiving bribe money, from May to July in 2011.

In a startling disclosure, Directorate General of Doordarshan in New Delhi has learned that some unscrupulous officials have burdened DDK Srinagar with meteoric liability of Rs 42 Cr in just one calendar year. Three particular producers, including two DDPs, in tandem then Director of the station, have created a sizeable liability of Rs 27 Cr by approving scores of in-house programme proposals of their favourites from middle of May to middle of July in current year. Programmes approved without any budget allocation or special outlay include drama serials and multi-episode musicals.

Even as three of the four tainted officials have been removed on complaint basis and posted at different stations, at least one of them has been assiduously lobbying to return to DDK Srinagar with the support of some officials at Mandi House and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Those roped in by his lobbyists in New Delhi reportedly include a senior official of union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that immediately after learning about the transfer of then Director, Rafeeq Masoodi, to DD headquarters in May 2011, three of his confidante producers began secretly receiving and approving tons of proposals for so-called in-house programmes. All of these programme proposals, channelised through the three ‘executive producers’, actually belonged to private producers who were favouvered on advance payment of bribe. Their family members, relatives, friends and others, including domestic helps and drivers, were being shown as the “facility providers” and paid huge amounts of money.

Sources revealed that tapes of some of these scandalously approved programmes were received from the beneficiary private parties. While as some of these programmes were expeditiously scheduled and some others telecast, tapes of scores of these programmes were still lying on cupboards of DDK Srinagar. Nevertheless, 90% of these programmes were still under production when Mandi House learned about this scandal. Then DDG North, Ashok Jailkhani, got the process stalled with a direction to DDK Srinagar.

With a communication received from incharge Director of DDK Srinagar, Shami Shair, Mandi House learned the three senior officials of DDK Srinagar had got programme proposals to the tune of Rs 27 Cr approved from the outgoing Director in less than two months.

Mandi House initiated strong action and got then Director of DDK Srinagar unceremoniously removed and posted on an insignificant position at the headquarters. It was closely followed by transfer of two DDPs. Fourth one continues to be posted in Srinagar but not holding any key assignment.

Officiating Director, Shami Shair, declined to make comment or share details. When insisted to reveal whether it was a fact or merely a wild allegation that three particular officials had created huge liability of Rs 27 Cr in just two months around the transfer of then Station Director, Rafeeq Masoodi, she confirmed that she had sent a detailed liability statement to Directorate General of Doordarshan. She confirmed that DDK Srinagar was faced with stupendous backlog of Rs 42 Cr and much of it had been created in the middle of 2011.

However, another DDK official, who is said to be privy to the communication, confirmed that just three particular officials had approved hundreds of proposals of their favourites clandestinely and thus created Rs 27 Cr worth liability. “But, all these tapes and programme files are now decaying in sealed gunny bags. This fraudulent process has been stopped under orders of Mandi House”, he added.

Sources revealed that Masoodi’s transfer was followed by shifting of two of

his key confidates. One of them, according to sources, was transferred when Deputy Director General of Engineering at DDK Srinagar and then Head of Office, Anuradha Agarwal, furnished a memorandum to Mandi House in August 2011. In the memorandum addressed to the accused DDP, with a copy to Mandi House, Mrs Agarwal recorded that the official had misbehaved with her and “tried to disrupt the National Flag hoisting ceremony on August 15, 2011”.

“Your action indicates deliberate attempt to sabotage the National Flag Hoisting ceremony on the Independence Day as well as smooth functioning of the Kendra and raises doubts about your integrity”, DDG Engineering recorded in the memo addressed to the DDP. Sources today insisted that the same official was lobbying hard to return to DDK Srinagar. He has reportedly spread word in Mandi House that a senior official of J&K Affairs in union Ministry of Home Affairs had assured him that he would be shifted and posted back at DDK Srinagar.

According to sources, all the four tainted officials, including three shifted earlier this year, were under tremendous pressure of their favoured private producers to return the money they had collected from them on account of approving their in-house programmes. “Now that Mandi House has got the process stalled, why should they retain our money?” asked a freelance producer who had no hesitation to admit that he had paid a handsome amount as “advance payment”. He asserted that in case his payment was not returned, he would approach CBI and CVC and reveal all details of Rs 27 Cr scandal”.

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