MUMBAI:  United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi today announced to set up an All India Radio (AIR) studio in Rae Bareli.

Laying foundation stone of 22 nd AIR FM transmitter at district headquarters, she said authorities will look into the public demand for studio. The government has sanctioned about Rs 10 Crore 50 Lakhs for the project. Initially setting up of a studio was included in the project.

The FM radio station will be set up in the area of 2.86 acre of land and will be commissioned within a year.

The 20 KW FM station at Rae Bareli will provide coverage up to radial distance of about 65 to 70 kilometers and is expected to cover a population of about 60 lakhs. With the existing FM transmitters about 37 percent population of the state are covered and after commissioning of this FM transmitter and 10 KW transmitters at Banda and Mau, the AIR FM coverage in the state is expected to increase up to 46 percent of the population.

Moreover, Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Jawahar Sircar  who was also present at the occasion said that the process had begun for permanent recruitment of 3000 posts in AIR and Doordarshan. Employment on contract and assignment basis will be encouraged in both the organization as regular employment is not possible for the public broadcaster.

“With the recruitments, morale of the employees from both the organizations will boost up. In the last 20 years not a single recruitment has taken place in Prasar Bharati,” he said.

Prasar Bharati is exploring the possibilities for 24 hours news channel for AIR and availability of fund for the project will not come in the way. He said only technical feasibility is important for 24 hours news broadcast on SW and MW channels of AIR.

He said construction of two new FM transmitters at Banda and Mau in Uttar Pradesh have been completed and both the transmitters are likely to be commissioned within next month.

The Congress leader during her day's visit to her parliamentary constituency, also inaugurated the newly-constructed premises of the rail coach factory, and a post office. She also laid the foundation stone of girl’s intermediate college building. As per reports,  she  is set to preside over a district level meeting too, before leaving for New Delhi in the evening.