President signs Ordinance
Kejriwal replaces Gill as CEO

NEW DELHI, Aug 29 (PTI) — The controversial Prasar Bharati Ordinance restoring the original 1990 act was promulgated late tonight and the government swiftly put All India Radio Director General O.P. Kejriwal in place of the Prasar Bharati Board’s Chief Executive Officer Mr S.S. Gill, whose services stood terminated.

The ordinance, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, got the assent of President K.R. Narayanan ending speculations about its fate, Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said the ordinance was not brought against any individual but was done only to restore accountability of the board to Parliament and to the nation.

The ordinance, which fixed the age limit of the Chief Executive Officer of the board at 62 years, automatically terminated the services of 72-year old Mr Gill.

An official spokesman, immediately after the promulgation of the ordinance, said that AIR DG Kejriwal has taken over as the Executive Member of the board and would also officiate as its chief executive officer (CEO) as an interim arrangement.

Ms Swaraj said according to the ordinance government has to make a reference within two weeks to the three-member committee headed by the Vice-President to select a regular CEO of the board.

Ms Swaraj said the reference would in fact be made next week.

The ordinance will restore the 22-member parliamentary panel to oversee the functioning of the Prasar Bharati Board governing the national television network Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said.

The Broadcasting Council, as provided in the 1990 Act, would also stand restored to monitor the programming content of Doordarshan and AIR.

Meanwhile, Mr Gill said he would challenge the ordinance in the court of law and added "I will go to the court to seek legal redressal."

With the promulgation of the ordinance, Doordarshan becomes a headless entity as the Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board has passed away recently and the services of Mr Gill are automatically terminated. The Director General’s post of Doordarshan is also lying vacant with the transfer of its last incumbent K.S. Sharma to the I & B Ministry early this year.

Former I & B Minister Jaipal Reddy said the ordinance was brought only to enable the government to remove Mr Gill.

However, former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral said "it may not be unconstitutional (to promulgate the ordinance) but it is undemocratic."