Sept. 21: The Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati, and its sister organisation, Programme Production Centre (Northeast), are reeling under an acute financial crisis, making it impossible for them to pay the producers of their various commissioned programmes.

Talking to reporters today, deputy director-general of the kendra, D.N. Basumatari, said Prasar Bharati has not released the amount for their budget requirement and hence, they are yet to pay the producers.

At present, the organisation owes Rs 2.85 crore to producers of their commissioned programmes.

Basumatari said 70 producers are yet to get their full payments from the production centre, while 59 producers have received full payment from the Doordarshan Kendra.

“It is a great concern that the producers are owed money. We have been urging Prasar Bharati to release the remaining funds so we can clear the dues. The producers even staged a dharna demanding their dues,” said Basumatari.

Basumatari said in the 2010-11 financial year, they had sent a budget proposal worth Rs 19.52 crore for the production centre but received only Rs 7.82 crore, while the amount was Rs 4.78 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 4.38 crore in 2012-13.

“The total amount released during all the three financial years was Rs 16.98 crore, which means we are still have an Rs 2.85 crore deficit.”

Similarly, for the Doordarshan Kendra, a budget proposal of Rs 20.98 crore was sent but they received only Rs 20.16 crore (Rs 4.50 crore in 2010-11 and Rs 8.60 crore and Rs 7.50 crore in the successive years).

Although Basumatari said they have not compromised with the quality of content, he admitted that in order to cope with the financial difficulties, they have put in a lot of fictional programmes instead of time-bound live programmes and made a change in the schedule of various programmes.

Basumatari said the number of commissioned producers here was noticeably higher than other Doordarshan Kendras.

“In Doordarshan centres outside the Northeast, the number of commissioned producers is around 30, while in Guwahati it is more than 200,” he said.

Basumatari said they have started two new programmes — “India Innovates” and “Anweshon” — in the evenings on every third and fourth Thursday of the month, in order to highlight innovators who have been working silently in different parts of the region.

Basumatari said they would telecast a special programme on September 30 on International Day for Elderly People, which falls on October 1, in which inmates of old age homes and other senior citizens will participate.