New Delhi, April 28 :In a move, to boost FM radio connectivity in the border regions and aspirational districts across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated 91 FM transmitters spread across 18 states and two union territories.
Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said this effort will give an impetus to radio and will also encourage those associated with it.
Why the development is so special ?
As per an official statement, aspirational districts and border areas are at the centre of the endeavour. After the newly inaugurated transmitters are functional, radio services will reach an additional two crore people who did not have access to the medium so far, with coverage further increasing in about 35,000 sq km area.
The expansion takes place two days before the landmark 100th episode of Mann ki Baat, the prime minister’s monthly radio programme.
The 91 new 100 W FM transmitters have been installed in 84 districts with a special focus on enhancing coverage in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
“The Prime Minister has been a firm believer in the important role which radio plays in reaching out to the masses," an official statement said.
It said the prime minister had started the Mann ki Baat programme to harness the unique strength of the medium to reach out to the widest possible audience. The 100th episode of the programme is scheduled to be aired on Sunday.