Community radio stations are fuming at what they see as a double whammy from the government: a diktat to publicise its flagship social schemes and an attempt to monitor the content being aired.
The community radio stations have been "advised" to base their programmes around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet schemes such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Jan Dhan Yojana, Union information and broadcasting ministry officials said.
The directive was issued "informally" to about 180 radio stations two weeks ago. Many stations and radio associations see it as a government ploy to use them for its own propaganda.