LARKANA: The new building of Radio Pakistan Larkana has been completed after 13 years, while test transmission has been made, but it is still awaiting inauguration. The relevant authorities in Islamabad have been informed but neither schedule has so far been given nor permission granted to officially make the station functional.
The recently completed building of Radio Pakistan is double story, having 10 rooms, and is spread on 26 acres which is located on main Naundero-Sukkur Road near Chooharpur village. The project of Low Power Transmission (LPT) was inaugurated by Benazir Bhutto in 1996 at Chooharpur which was to be upgraded to High Power Transmission (HPT) in 2004 but despite passage of over a decade, it kept on lingering due to several bottlenecks for which the ministry never took serious efforts to remove them.
Even during last federal government of PPP, they did almost nothing for functionality of the project which was initiated by their own martyred Chairperson.
The transmitter range of the Radio Pakistan, Larkana is 100 KW, transmission of which can be heard as far as 250 square kilo-meters whereas the antenna installed at the station is of 10 KW capacity only which does not match the high power transmitter requirement due to which its range will be largely reduced and has thus been minimized. The authorities of Radio Pakistan said that if the antenna is installed of matching capacity then Larkana will be heard in India and other neighbouring countries.
Reliable sources said that the total cost of the project is approximately Rs: 65 million adding Islamabad has been informed about completion of the project month ago and is ready for inauguration. The technical & other staff which is to be recruited to run this scheme is yet to be appointed for which allocation of required budget is also to be made & sanctioned.
In this connection Aziz Sangi, President, Riaz Soomro, Secretary, Arts Council of Pakistan, Larkana Chapter, Manzoor Kohiyar and Inayatullah of Writers Club, Larkana, Manzoor Mangi of Sindhi Adabi Sangat, Naundero and civil society members have demanded of the federal government & its information & broadcasting ministry to make the project functional without loss of further time to save tax-payer’s money from wastage as according to them 13 precious years have already gone down the drain.
These writers & artists while talking to media here on Monday further said that the project was started in 2004 and completed after 13 years a month ago in 2017 which shows the seriousness of the rulers about running this project which will not only provide employment to the educated deserving youth but also highlight the cultural values of the provinces and Pakistan. Singers will also get opportunities to earn livelihood which they are being denied at Khairpur due to rush of artists, they added.
