GUWAHATI, March 9 ? The Guwahati station of the All India Radio (AIR) is in a tight spot following an irregular selection of artistes for modern and folk songs allegedly about two years back. According to sources, a record number of around 200 artistes were selected in the August, 2000 music audition of the AIR Station. Normally, 20 to 25 artistes are selected in an audition test. The problem is, however, not with the number, but, with the quality of those selected, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General, NE AIR, office here is conducting an inquiry into the allegation, and most of the papers concerning the August 2000 music audition are sent to the Deputy Director General?s (DDG) office by the Air station. KMV Sekhose, DDG, NE AIR, told this correspondent that her office was examining the papers concerning the August 2000 music audition in the Guwahati station of the AIR, as complaints were there of irregularities in selecting the artistes. It will take sometime to arrive at a conclusion on the issue, she said. The directorate general of AIR asked all radio stations of the country in March 15, 2001 (No. 4/2/2001 PII) to keep records of all the candidates appearing before the local audition committees (LACs) in case of light and folk music and the recordings of all successful/approved artistes intact for a period of six months. This office order was issued by the directorate general in view of the fact that it was ?observed that LACs have been somehow lenient at various AIR stations with regard to the selection of candidates for ?B? grade in light music and ?B? and B(H) in folk music. This has effected the quality of the broadcast of music programme of AIR,? the directorate general?s order said.
The DDG, NE AIR office on April 9, 2001, by an official note (D/No. Sl 16), asked the station director of Guwahati AIR to submit to it (DDG office) the audition registers (of light and folk music) of August 2000, date wise attendance sheet of the candidates for both the auditions, the date wise lists of roll numbers given by the authority, the result sheets of different LAC members for both the auditions (date wise) and also the names and address of the LAC members, office copies of the letters intimating the results to the candidates and index cards of all the artistes passed during the said auditions. This step was taken by the DDG office in the wake of several complaints about the irregularities in the August 2000 audition landing its officers? tables. But, the DDG office had to write some more letters till January 6, 2001 asking the station director of Guwahati AIR to submit all the above documents in total.
In reply to the DDG office?s July 6, 2001 letter, the assistant station director of the Guwahati AIR station, RN Sarmah wrote to the DDG on July 18, 2001 (No. Guwa-3(7)/2001-P-II 6304) an interesting letter wherein Sarma, who signed the letter for the station director, said that it was not clear whether the attendance sheet of August 26, 2000, ?was originally not in the file or lost on transit? to the DDG office or it was a ?partial submission of documents.? Sarma also said in the letter, ?willy-nilly to state that the procedure how they (LACs) have completed the audition is not proper, however, after receiving the above mentioned letter from your office we have again searched the missing letter in almost all places in the section (music), but it is regretted to inform you that we could not locate the same in our office.?
So, the DDG office had to start its investigation into the allegations of irregular selection of artistes by the Guwahati AIR station without all the relevant documents. But, to distract popular attention, the coterie which was involved in the alleged irregularities in the artistes? selection process, started a campaign making outcries about the alleged erasing of old songs in the Guwahati AIR ?archive?, alleged the sources.