NEW DELHI: Even as speculation continues to grow on the spate of resignations from the Board of the Prasar Bharati, it is learnt that one or two more members are expected to put in their papers.

While no official comment was available with even Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar declining to say anything, pubcaster sources said that these resignations could be due to the fact that they were political appointees.

It is learnt that part-time members Dipa Dixit, Suman Dubey and CR Kesavan have put in their papers.

Under the Prasar Bharati Act 1990, the part-time members have a term of six years and therefore cannot be removed before that term is over even if there is a change in government or the governance of Prasar Bharati.

However, one source said that the members are believed to have resigned as a moral obligation since they were appointees of the previous government.

It is also learnt that the members were apprehensive of greater interference in the working of the autonomous pubcaster, and the resignations could be termed as a ‘boycott’ or ‘protest’.

Another source said that the members were also unhappy with the fact that there were crucial delays in not only filling vacancies in the Board, but also the vacancies that had been cleared by the Group of Ministers, as crucial to the function of the pubcaster.

At present, the Prasar Bharati is without a chairperson as Mrinal Pande’s term has come to an end, and the posts of both the Executive Members in-charge of Personnel and Finance.

Over 1100 persons are believed to have been selected by the selection committees for filling crucial posts, but these are not being cleared by the Government.

The Prasar Bharati Board comprises its chairman, an executive member (chief executive officer), member (Finance), member (Personnel) and six part-time members.

That apart, a representative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Directors General of All India Radio and Doordarshan are its ex-officio members.