TV sop has shaky record

Hyderabad, April 5: People in the state, where nearly 45 per cent of the households already own a TV set, are not too excited about the Telugu Desam’s free colour television scheme.

The falling prices of TV sets may make the TD happy, but the people do not seem to be amused.
The total number of TVs in the state were 53,02,519, and the number of families who own a radio was 36,44,190 as per a census in 2001. In the last five years, the rise in TV sale has been from 12 to 18 per cent — about 38 lakh TVs.
An official in the directorate of economics and statistics said the number of people who may want TVs is small in the current scenario. “Of the 1.68 crore households in AP, nearly 45 per cent already own a set. If we count out the illiterates, tribals and people residing in remote areas, the number of people who need a TV is very less,” he explained.
However, the free colour TV scheme seems to be a favourite sop of politicians, particularly in the southern states.
The scheme was first offered by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or DMK in 2006 which helped the party to return to power with a thumping majority.
However, the scheme did not work for the Congress in Karnataka in the 2008 Assembly polls. The Karnataka Congress offered a free colour TV for every family below poverty-line. But they could not win as the BJP in Karnataka, which won, had promised free TVs and a computer with internet facility in every community hall: some experts say the new sop propelled it to victory.
In Tamil Nadu, about 2.5 million colour TVs procured at Rs 2,740 per set were distributed to families below poverty line in 2007. The Tamil Nadu government has set a target to give out 3.4 million more TV sets by 2009, which means nearly 60 lakh TV will be distributed in five years.
In the case of Andhra Pradesh, the total requirement according to the TD estimates is about 45 lakh sets. And the good news for the TD is that prices of colour TVs have come down due to recession.
Now, a branded colour TV is offered at Rs 2,100 for the bulk sale; the same set is retailed at a price somewhere between 6,500 and 7,000.
This means that the TD, if it comes to power, would have to spend less than Rs 1,000 crore to keep its free colour TV promise where as Tamil Nadu had to dish out Rs 1,437 crore.
“Colour TVs will not help people in earning money or procuring a job,” said a faculty member at the Administrative Staff College of India. “But many see it as a tangible benefit.”