New Delhi: For the last few days, state-owned Doordarshan (DD) has been broadcasting reports that are showing people across the country thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and showering praises on his government for taking care of them during the lockdown period.
DD News has broadcast bites of multiple people who said they have benefitted from the different schemes of the Modi government.
For example, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, Rukmani Devi, was seen thanking PM Modi for receiving Rs 500 in her bank account under the Jan Dhan Yojana — one of the flagship schemes of the government. She also said the money helped her at this time of crisis.
Rukmani Devi of Himachal Pradesh received 500 rupees in her account under Jandhan Yojana. She thanked PM Modi for the aid received #GareebKalyanForCOVID19 #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/wFy6Ity59q
— DD News (@DDNewslive) April 16, 2020
In another video, Mini, a homemaker from Idukki district of Kerala, expressed gratitude for successfully receiving the first installment of PM-KISAN — the government’s flagship income support scheme for farmers.
Another woman was seen thanking Modi after receiving financial assistance under Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme that provides LPG connections to below poverty line (BPL) households. The video seemed to have been shot from her kitchen.
Dileep, a farmer from Karuvatta in Alappuzha district of Kerala, was also shown thanking Modi for receiving the first installment of PM-KISAN.
Several similar bites — purely about the government’s flagship programmes — flooded the Twitter timeline of the official handle of DD News with the hashtag #GareebKalyanForCOVID19 earlier this week.
Ensuring positive Covid-19 coverage was among the several tasks that a newly appointed empowered group on information, communication and public awareness was assigned with.
Also read: Ramayan on DD: Best way to keep India’s elderly indoors or show the young TV beyond Netflix?
‘Creating awareness regarding relief measures’
A senior government official said the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan have been for long keeping people informed about Covid-19 developments through their continued 24×7 services on TV, radio and digital platforms.
“Apart from raising awareness on Covid-19-related news and precautions, the public broadcaster is also creating awareness regarding relief measures getting delivered to the intended beneficiaries in line with Section 12 sub-section 2(j) of the Prasar Bharati Act,” the official said.
The Prasar Bharati is the umbrella body of DD and AIR. Prasar Bharati News Services is the digital arm of Prasar Bharati and NewsOnAir app is the mobile application of AIR.
Prasar Bharati officials highlighted that the NewsOnAir App has more than 200 radio streams from across India, broadcasting coronavirus-related information in various regional languages, while DD News and AIR have been broadcasting special bulletins on Covid-19 twice everyday in Hindi and English.
These platforms are also holding phone-ins with doctors and health experts, a Prasar Bharati official said.
Special bulletin on positive Covid-19 stories
The official quoted above said the Prasar Bharati has launched a special bulletin on positive news stories in India’s fight against Covid-19 to share all breakthroughs, and contributions of individuals and organisations in this battle against the pandemic.
The official added Doordarshan and All India Radio are also working in tandem with various local governments and educational institutions to conduct virtual classes.
The Prasar Bharati is also one of the top five advertisers spreading awareness about the outbreak, he said.
Also read: How DD & AIR are helping bust fake news around COVID-19 and creating awareness