By HT
14 Dec 2007
There is good news for farmers in Kumaon. They will now be able to entertain themselves even while at work side by side getting updated on all the latest on the agriculture-related information.
Well, the poor hill farmers will get the taste of both just by switching on their tiny radio sets. A number of Frequency Modulated (FM) radio stations, through which programmes relating to info-cum-entertainment would be relayed, would soon be installed in remote areas of Kumaon, officials revealed.
“These programmes will be packaged in a manner that all our listeners including farmers would find them both educative and entertaining”, said P. C. Rajput, an Assistant Station Engineer (ASE) at the AIR’s broadcasting station in Almora.
“These programmes”, he added, “will also time to time keep the people inhabiting this side of the Indo-Nepal border touching Uttarakhand informed about the Maoists’ activities in Nepal and India.”
Speaking to the Hindustan Times from Pithoragarh on Wednesday he said the first FM radio station of Kumaon is currently being installed at the district headquarters’ town of Bageshwar.
“The radio station will be made operational through a five kilowatt-capacity transmitter”, said the ASE. “Besides, the radio station will also have attached to it an emergency studio, where different kinds of programmes will be prepared for our listeners,” he added.
Rajput told HT that one more FM radio station was also likely to be installed at Dharchula very shortly. It is a remote town, which is situated on this side of the porous Indo-Nepal border.
“Through this FM station we will also be broadcasting programmes which will educate the people living in the border areas about the activities of the leftist ultras active both in Nepal and India”, he pointed out.
Stating that similar FM radio stations would also be set up elsewhere in the remote areas of Kumaon the ASE said work on them (FM radio stations) would get underway as and when the required land would be available for the purpose.
Besides, plans were also underway to upgrade the capacity of the existing radio stations in the region. “Take, for instance, our 1-kilowatt capacity radio station at Almora”, said the ASE.
“A 50-kilowatt capacity transmitter will replace it, which would enhance the capacity of the existing radio station by as many times,” he told HT.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com | http://news.yahoo.com
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