The information was provided to RTI applicant Anil Galgali. In his application, Galgali had sought details like when was the decision taken to stop the FM radio service, the date at which it was started and the expense incurred.
The University of Mumbai’s (MU) FM community radio service which had begun with much fanfare has not been functioning for the past four months. The reason — its non-functional transmitter. The radio service was inaugurated in 2008 by then President of India, Pratibha Patil. However, MU has not given an exact date on when the radio station will start again.
The information was provided to RTI applicant Anil Galgali. In his application, Galgali had sought details like when was the decision taken to stop the FM radio service, the date at which it was started and the expense incurred.
The varsity replied stating that the FM radio service was started after incurring a cost of Rs 23 lakh and has a recurring expense of Rs 12 lakh every year. The reply was given by the department of economics which is looking to restore the service. The old transmitter, which was in service for about 11 years needs to be replaced and appropriate procedure is being followed, officials stated.
“We could start the radio service only in 2008 because we did not have all the permissions in place,” said Neeraj Hatekar, coordinator of the university’s department of economics.
As per further details in the reply, the budget for FM service was set at around Rs 25 lakh in 2006. However, the actual installation expense came to around Rs 22,80,798. The reply stated that the details of expenses incurred each year was being tabulated and will be provided later.
When asked about the delay in replacing the transmitter, Hatekar said, “Transmitter is an expensive instrument. We kept repairing the transmitter but it is now beyond repair. While the transmitter could be procured in three months, we are also looking at a complete overhaul which may take more time. A decision is yet to be taken on that. Getting right acoustics and remaking of the walls requires a lot of time.”
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