The Supreme Court on Friday directed that all day-to-day functions of Indian broadcaster Prasar Bharati would be managed jointly by a three-member team consisting of its Chief Executive Officer, Member (Finance) and Member (Personnel) as per the Delhi High Court order.
A Bench of Justices R.V. Raveendran and A.K. Patnaik passed this order on an appeal filed by the Corporation's CEO B.S. Lalli against the High court order. The Bench clarified that the High Court's order appointing a three-member committee to handle the day-to-day affairs of Prasar Bharati would be applicable till it decided on the appeal.
Earlier, counsel Prashant Bhushan appearing for the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, pointed out that despite the High court order, Mr. Lalli was taking unilateral decisions. The Bench, in its order, said: “Until further order, it is made clear that the direction in the office order of August 20, 2009 issued by Prasar Bharati Secretariat, under the signature of its CEO, which states that all executive powers be delegated by the board to the sub-committee comprising the CEO, Member (Finance) and Member (Personnel), shall be implemented.”
In its interim order on Aug 24, 2009, the Supreme Court had allowed a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) inquiry into the alleged financial irregularities of the Corporation, as directed by the High Court, but had stayed that part of the order in which the High Court had appointed a retired judge as an observer for the Board meeting.
During the resumed hearing on Friday, Additional Solicitor-General Vivek Tankha told the court that the CVC report had been referred to the Law ministry for its opinion. Mr. Bhushan submitted that the CVC report made it clear that there had been large-scale financial irregularities in the functioning of Prasar Bharati.
He said Mr. Lalli had abused the Supreme Court's interim order by taking unilateral decisions.
He submitted that the irregularities relating to the contract of the Commonwealth Games had also surfaced as he himself had entered into contracts. The Bench, while passing the interim order, posted the matter to be further heard after three weeks.
