Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 91 FM transmitters of 100 Watt across 18 States and 2 Union Territories today (April 28) which will give a boost to radio connectivity in the country.
"Be it timely dissemination of information, weather forecasts for agriculture, or connecting the women's self-help groups with new markets these FM transmitters will play a key role. Infotainment of FM has a lot of value," said PM Modi.
"Our government is continuously working towards the democratisation of technology. Every citizen should be able to afford and have access to technology. All India Radio has a vision of connecting the nation. The affordability of mobile devices and data plans has enabled widespread access to information, added PM Modi."Today, this expansion of the FM service of All India Radio is an important step towards becoming All India FM. This launch of 91 FM transmission of All India Radio is like a gift to 2 crore people of 85 districts of the country,' said Prime Minister.
FM connectivity in India:
"The government has been committed to enhancing FM connectivity in the country. The 91 new 100 Watt FM transmitters have been installed in 84 districts across 18 States and 2 Union Territories," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated.
A special focus of this expansion has been on enhancing coverage in Aspirational Districts and in border areas, the release reads.
"The States and UTs covered include 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," PMO stated.
The PMO further added "With this expansion of AIR's FM service, an additional 2 crore people, who did not have access to the medium, will now be covered. It will result in an expansion of coverage in about 35,000 sq km area."
Prime Minister has firmly believed in radio's important role in reaching out to the masses. To harness the unique strength of the medium to reach out to the widest possible audience, Prime Minister started the Mann ki Baat programme, which is now nearing its landmark 100th episode, the release stated.
(With ANI inputs)
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