The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to conduct e-auctions for 730 Private FM channels in 234 new cities. The move aims to boost local content in the mother tongue and create new employment opportunities. Briefing media in New Delhi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, the decision will take the FM radio to uncovered tier 2 and tier 3 cities. He said this project will focus on local talent.
The estimated reserve price for this auction is over 784 crore rupees. Under this, 32 new private FM channels will be auctioned in Uttar Pradesh, 22 in Andhra Pradesh, 20 in Madhya Pradesh, 19 in Rajasthan, 18 in Bihar, 11 in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu each, 13 in West Bengal and six private FM channels in Assam. Many of the approved cities are in Aspirational districts and left-wing extremist-affected areas and will further strengthen government outreach in these areas. It will also create new employment opportunities.
Union Cabinet has also accorded approval for the progressive expansion of the Central Sector Scheme of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. This will significantly enhance and strengthen the agricultural infrastructure in the country and support the farming community. The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund was established in 2020 with a corpus of one lakh crore rupees to provide all-around financial support to the farmers.