The suspension of controversial CEO B S Lalli has done little to bring order at the troubled Prasar Bharati, India?s national broadcaster. A fresh storm seems to be brewing at the organisation that runs Doordarshan and All India Radio, this time over the appointment of an interim CEO to fill the vacancy created by Lalli?s suspension.
The two whole-time members of the board are believed to have put in a dissent note, saying the selection of Rajiv Takru as interim CEO was bad in law.
The Prasar Bharati Board had last week appointed Takru, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the government nominee on the Board, to officiate as the CEO. Takru was asked to discharge his functions under ?the overall direction, control and supervision of the chairperson?.
According to some members of the Board, under provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act, a part-time member like Takru cannot be vested with executive powers. Even chairperson Mrinal Pande is a part-time member and cannot function as the executive member. The Act, in Section 6 (2), says that the Executive Member, the Member (Finance) and Member (Personnel) shall be whole-time members of the Board.
After the exit of Lalli, who was put under suspension pending an inquiry against him for alleged irregularities, only two whole-time members remain — Member (Finance) A K Jain and Member (Personnel) V Shivakumar. The two are learnt to have put in the dissent note.
The other side has been justifying Takru’s selection citing Section 30 of the Act, that says that the Prasar Bharati Corporation may “delegate to the Chairman or any other Member… such of its powers and duties under this Act as it may deem fit”.
Last week’s decision has brought in another anamoly into the Board. Member (Finance) Jain, an IAS officer of 1977 batch, happens to be senior to Takru, who belongs to the 1979 batch. This is likely to lead to functional problems.
