NEW DELHI: Nine Doordarshan 'kendras' (centres) including four in the northeast failed to utilise budgetary allocation for Kisan channel programmes in the first quarter of 2017-18. On the other hand, the Central Production Centre in Delhi exceeded using its allocated budget.

However, Doordarshan has urged Prasar Bharati to release a sum of Rs 159.083 million as grant-in-aid for the Kisan channel under Plan Scheme for the second quarter of the financial year 2017-18.

Of this, Rs 134.875 million is for the Central Production Centre from where the channel is beamed, while Rs 21.583 million is for 12 Doordarshan kendras in the northeast.

The remainder (Rs 2.625 million) is for the seven stations at Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Jalandhar, Lucknow, Mumbai, Vijayawada, and Jammu.

In the first quarter, CPC was allocated a sum of Rs 108.744 million but it spent Rs 115.293 million till August 2017.

The northeastern kendras were allocated Rs 12.331 million in the first quarter while only Rs 2.651 million was used, with four kendras not spending any money at all.

Other stations were allocated Rs 2.625 million of which only Rs 69,000 was spent, wherein only two stations – Bhopal and Lucknow – incurring expenses.