I&B Ministry allocated Rs 5.44 crore to boost Community Radio over three years

Under the Central Sector Scheme for 'Supporting Community Radio Movement in India', financial assistance worth Rs 5.44 crore has been sanctioned and released in the last three years, L. Murugan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, informed Lok Sabha on April 2, 2025.

He was responding to the queries raised by Ruchi Veera, Member of the Lok Sabha over the number of modern community radio stations set up so far across the country during each of the last three years, State and location-wise, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

In his responses, Murugan shared that Uttar Pradesh received the highest financial assistance of Rs 77,84,156, with Maharashtra following closely at Rs 77,50,000.

Andhra Pradesh received Rs 10,00,000; Bihar Rs 4,11,423; Chhattisgarh Rs 27,50,000; Haryana Rs 13,16,888; Karnataka Rs 64,68,120; Kerala Rs 31,41,632; Ladakh Rs 10,00,000; Madhya Pradesh Rs 65,00,000; Maharashtra Rs 77,50,000; Nagaland Rs 12,00,000; Odisha Rs 63,99,963; Rajasthan Rs 30,00,000; Sikkim Rs 6,80,431; Tamil Nadu Rs 25,73,035; Telangana Rs 5,16,039; and Uttrakhand received financial assistance worth Rs 20,00,000, in the last three years.

As of March 27, 2025, the Government has sanctioned 532 Community Radio Stations across the country. While the state of UP boasts of 9 community radio stations, Maharashtra and Karnataka each have 8, followed by MP and Odisha with 7 each.

Last year, the government approved the Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of Rs 50 crore for 5 years i.e., from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026, to support the community radios. The scheme aims to strengthen both new and existing Community Radio Stations with resources, capacity, and technology.