Hisar: Residents, former casual staff want Doordarshan Kendra reopened

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, April 3

The dharna being organised by members of the Doordarshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has entered its 454th day on Wednesday.

The samiti members comprising former casual employees, who lost their jobs, and prominent residents of Hisar town have been agitating in favour of their demand to restart the Doordarshan Kendra here. The kendra wound up its operations on January 15, 2023, when it was shifted to Chandigarh.

Shifted to Chandigarh

• Doordarshan Kendra wound up its operations on January 15, 2023, when it was shifted to Chandigarh.
• The kendra situated on nearly eight acres, comprising a residential complex for the employees in five acres, in Sector 13, was set up and inaugurated by the then Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj, on November 1, 2002.
• Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur had visited Doordarshan Kendra, Hisar, in December 2022 and the decision to shift it to Chandigarh was taken on December 29, 2022.

Necessity for state

Doordarshan Kendra is a necessity for the state as it was useful for the public and the government. Cultural educational, agricultural and healthcare-related programmes were telecast from here. — Inder Singh Malik, president, Doordarshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti

Inder Singh Malik, president of the samiti, said a peaceful dharna has been going on for re-opening Doordarshan Kendra in Haryana. He said it was the lone kendra in the state, which was serving the people. “The kendra is a necessity for the state as it was useful for the public and the government. Many cultural, educational, agricultural, and healthcare-related programmes were telecast from here,” he added.

According to information, Doordarshan Kendra, Hisar, situated on nearly eight acres, comprising a residential complex for the employees in five acres, in Sector 13, was set up and inaugurated by the then Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sushma Swaraj, on November 1, 2002.

Samiti activists said Doordarshan Kendra was a valuable asset for the city. They said the kendra has sufficient infrastructure, including studio, production control room, residences, and used to telecast programmes daily from 3 pm to 7 pm. The programmes included a daily news bulletin, kisan programmes, cultural programmes, bhajan, folk etc on a daily basis, they added.

Though Doordarshan Kendra, Hisar, was shifted to Chandigarh, there are 18 other Doordarshan Kendra operating in different states in the country.

“The dharna will continue until the state government and the Centre accept our demand and withdraw the orders of shifting the kendra to Chandigarh,” the samiti members said.

Notably, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur had visited Doordarshan Kendra, Hisar, in December 2022 and the decision to shift it to Chandigarh was taken on December 29, 2022.

Deepak, a member of the samiti, said the Haryana government has also failed to intervene in the matter. “We have hoped that the BJP-led state government would intervene in the matter and take up the issue with the Centre. But, nothing was done in this regard,” Deepak said, adding that the similar closure orders were passed regarding Shimla Doordarshan Kendra, but the Himachal Government had taken up the matter with the Centre and was successful in its efforts. The samiti said it will not retract from its demand until the operations of the Doordarshan Kendra, Hisar, are resumed.

Opposition party leaders, including former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Om Prakash Chautala, former Union Minister Kumari Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala, have extended their support to the dharna.

Former Hisar MP Brijendra Singh, who recently joined the Congress, also supported the demand of the samiti.