[cr-india] Spectrum Fee Hike Still in Place?

[Vickram Crishna]

As against this position, let me draw the attention of listmembers to the recent brouhaha around sec 66A of the Information Technology Act (ITAA2008), where the government has now apparently issued orders that no case can be registered unless sanctioned by some senior level of police officer, something not envisaged in the presently notified rules.

Not that I am recommending the government suddenly allow such non-procedural rule-setting, but in this case, really, we are talking about an arbitrary raise in a spectrum usage fee, not a sweeping change in rules. We already have a situation where some spectrum fees are waived entirely in the public interest, so even a complete waiver (which seems to be on the cards) is no earthshaking change. About time that WPC and the ministry got their fingers out (as the quaint British expression goes) and got a move on. Especially since some uninformed mandarin seems to have decided to keep the old decision about a hiked fee in play by issuing a fresh notice.     
 
Vickram
http://communicall.wordpress.com
http://vvcrishna.wordpress.com



>________________________________
> From: Arti Jaiman <arti at trfindia.org>
>To: CR-India <cr-india at sarai.net>; ram bhat <ram at maraa.in> 
>Sent: Saturday, 8 December 2012, 14:19
>Subject: Re: [cr-india] Spectrum Fee Hike Still in Place?
> 
>
>Dear Ram,
>I have written to JS (B) about this. Meanwhile, MoIB minister Manish Tiwari answered a question in Parliament on Dec 4 that the expert committee has submitted its recommendations on spectrum fee rollback for CR to DOT and a decision is expected soon. We of course need to follow this more vigorously with one on one meetings with both MIB and WPC. 
>
>Regards
>
>Arti 
>
>Arti Jaiman
>
>Station Director : Gurgaon Ki Awaaz Samudayik Radio Station 107.8 MHz FM
>email: arti at trfindia.org
>website: www.trfindia.org 
>
>Gurgaon Ki Awaaz is the first and only civil-society-led community radio station in the National Capital Region of Delhi. Since 2009, we have been broadcasting 22X7, in Hindi and Haryanvi, with a team of community reporters who generate community content with community participation. 
>
>
>--- On Fri, 7/12/12, ram bhat <ram at maraa.in> wrote:
>
>
>>From: ram bhat <ram at maraa.in>
>>Subject: [cr-india] Spectrum Fee Hike Still in Place?
>>To: "CR-India" <cr-india at sarai.net>
>>Date: Friday, 7 December, 2012, 5:43 PM
>>
>>
>>Dear All,
>>
>>
>>It has recently come to our attention,
>>that a CR station received a notice from WPC
>>requesting them to pay the revised spectrum fee of Rs. 91,000 (approx).
>>
>>
>>Disturbingly, this notice comes after the PIB's press release stating that the spectrum fee was waived for Community Radio. (see http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=88033)
>>
>>
>>Further, WPC was supposed to come out with detailed guidelines w.r.t to the spectrum fees by October 12th. These guidelines have not come and meanwhile, the increased spectrum fee continues to throttle the community radio movement.
>>
>>
>>We must not be lulled into complacency at this critical stage. May I request our friends in Delhi to pursue this in all seriousness, so that the guidelines can be published, and the spectrum fee waiver becomes official, settling the matter once and for all?
>>
>>
>>best,
>>
>>Ram
>>
>>-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>>
>>
>>Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to www.crforum.in 
>Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to www.crforum.in
>
>
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