Many of these posts were accompanied by the slogan ‘Save Akashvani’.
Shankar Halagatti, general secretary of the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangh, Dharwad, said AIR Dharwad is being run largely by temporary staff and officials holding additional charge. Prasar Bharati should conduct an inquiry into the matter and resolve the issues,” said Halagatti, who is also an advocate. Prof Dhanavant Hajavagol, former head of the Kannada department at Karnatak University, Dharwad, said the Union govt should strengthen AIR Dharwad by filling vacant posts and providing basic amenities. “There should be no proposal to shift the station,” he said. Requesting anonymity, a retired AIR official said all employees recruited by the ministry of information and broadcasting at AIR Dharwad have retired, while only three or four employees recruited by Prasar Bharati remain. He also pointed out that sharing photographs of engineering sections and the head of the office section could amount to a security breach and said prior approval from higher authorities should be obtained before such images are made public. When contacted, Arun Prabhakar, head of the office, engineering group, AIR Dharwad, said he would look into the matter and take appropriate action.
Dharwad: A portrait of former President Ram Nath Kovind placed on the floor, notices urging the public to visit All India Radio (AIR) only during office hours and with prior permission, a claim by the AIR programme head that he was acting as a security guard for a day, locked chambers of various officials, studio equipment, and a torn sofa are among the images and posts shared on social media by AIR Dharwad programme head Kumar Agadi. “Recently, we convened a meeting of AIR enthusiasts and submitted a letter to AIR Bengaluru seeking measures to save Akashvani. At a time when the station is facing such challenges, employees should not share images that damage the reputation of AIR Dharwad. It is a clear violation of service rules. However, Agadi, who posted the images, was unavailable for comment.