Clarification, Corrections 2015
Responding to the report ‘Now, a serial on PM’s community’ (May 5), which stated that Doordarshan had cleared a 128-episode serial Diye Jalte Hain on the oil-pressers community to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs, Doordarshan Additional Director General Deepa Chandra has said “no such project is under consideration or has been approved by Doordarshan for any of its channel”.
According to Chandra, the matter had been inquired into on the instructions of the Prasar Bharati CEO. “You may please note that Doordarshan traditionally does not grant approval for 128 episodes at one go and that too for a period of ten years continuously. The reporter has also not cared to check whether any approval letter has been issued by Doordarshan to the Producer or Director. Being a public service broadcaster, Doordarshan is simply being taken for granted through this news story,” Chandra said.
The reporter replies:
The report on the serial Diye Jalte Hain quoted its Maharashtra-based producer Suresh Chaudhari’s claim that Doordarshan had sanctioned 128 episodes in the first phase, that the serial was likely to run for about 10 years. He made this claim to The Indian Express after the muhurat of the serial which was attended, among others, by the Prime Minister’s brother, Somnathbhai Modi, at Pethapur, Gandhinagar on May 4.
The error is regretted.
Source:: Indian Express
