TV serials are destroying the society and have an evil impact on the culture too, chief minister Mamata Banerjee who also loves to see some Bengali TV serials on Friday said.
She was addressing a cable operators’ conference organised by Cable TV Equipments Traders & Manufacturers Association at Netaji Indoor Stadium where a galaxy of Tollywood stars were present as guests.
“Sometimes serials and cinemas seem bad to me because these mediums are destroying our society and culture. In many TV serials, we see bad indecent things. For instance, a man is seen staying with three women in a room or there are three to four villain characters like kaikayee (an evil character in the Ramayana) in a serial. These villains are doing mischief to others. Thus our society is being affected badly,” she said.
Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi had decided to write to Union information and broadcasting minister to form a committee to screen the scripts of daily soaps before granting permission to air them.
“Television serials are using languages that are improper. They are also portraying society in a wrong way. Such programmes are destroying our culture,” Tripathi had while addressing in a programme to mark the golden jubilee of Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad in Bolpur in November 2016.
On the other hand, chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee announced financial benefits for about 25,000 cable TV operators and their family members on Friday in the city ahead of the panchayat elections in the state.
While addressing the programme, Miss Banerjee said that the cable operators and their seven lakh family members would be brought under two existing government schemes Swasthya Sathi and Samajik Surakshma Progamme.
“Every family member of a cable operator will get a benefit of five lakh rupees for critical care treatment in any private hospital or nursing home listed under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. And for any non-critical healthcare service in such a hospital one and a half lakh rupees will be given if any cable operator or his or her family member requires hospitalisation,” she said.
Apart from the Swasthya Sathi, the cable operators and their family members will also be included in Samajik Surakshma Programme.
Directing the state labour minister Mr Moloy Ghatak, the chief minister said, “Bring them under this programme that provides a benefit of Rs two lakh cash and a monthly pension of Rs 1500 each to cable operator after the maturity of the policy. Each operator will have to give Rs 25 per month till he or she reaches 60 while the government will pay Rs 30 for each policy holder under the programme,” she added.
Before announcing such packages Miss Banerjee wanted to know from the huge audience how much a cable operator earns every month from this business.
One operator from Usthi in South 24 Parganas district while responding to the chief minister’s query said that their monthly earning has drastically come down to Rs 8000 to Rs 10000 because of digitalisation in the cable TV business.
“Our income has come down alarmingly after paying Rs 100 to Rs 110 to the company (broadcaster) for each consumer who gives us a monthly charge of Rs 150 only. Apart from paying the company we have to pay salary to our two or three staff. How can we save money to run our family?” he said drawing the attention of the chief minister.
The grievances of the cable operators prompted Miss Banerjee to hold an on-the-spot meeting with Mr Ghatak, urban development minister Mr Firhad Hakim, director general of police Mr Surojit Kar Purkayasthya, commissioner of police Mr Rajeev Kumar and office bearers of the organising association who were present in the programme to redress the problems.
She said that an advisory committee headed by the municipal affairs and urban development minister Firhad Hakim would be formed to look after all these issues.
“Big TV channels should share a portion of their earnings with the cable operators. These channels earn huge money from the IPL cricket tournament. A joint venture initiative may also be taken with the help of state MSME (medium small manufacturing enterprises) department for skill development of the cable operators,” she added.