New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 91 new 100W FM Transmitters on Friday in a move that will give a further boost to radio connectivity in the country.

The Prime Minister underlined that the beginning of 91 FM transmitters by All India Radio is like a present for 85 districts and 2 crore people of the nation, resulting in the expansion of coverage in about 35,000 sq km area.

He informed that the districts covered under the new 91 FM transmitters are aspirational districts and blocks, and congratulated All India Radio for the momentous achievement.

He also congratulated the citizens of the Northeast who will greatly benefit from this.

The states and UTs covered include Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Ladakh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The Prime Minister underscored the emotional connection of his generation with radio. “For me, there is an added happiness that I have a relationship with radio as a host too,” the Prime Minister said referring to the upcoming 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat.

The Prime Minister underlined that the inauguration of 91 FM transmitters forwards the policies of the government that gives preference to the underprivileged who have been deprived of this facility so far.

Making modern technology accessible and affordable is key to this, he added. Expanding optical fiber networks to all the villages and the cheapest data cost has eased access to information, which has given a new push to digital entrepreneurship in villages.

Similarly, UPI has helped small businesses and street vendors to access banking services.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the tech revolution taking place in the country in the past few years has fabricated radio and especially FM in a new form.

Noting the rise of the internet, the Prime Minister pointed out that radio has come to the fore in innovative ways through podcasts and online FM.

“Digital India has not only given new listeners to the radio but a new thought process as well,” the Prime Minister said as he underlined that the same revolution can be witnessed in every broadcasting medium.

He informed that the services of DD free dish, the largest DTH platform in the country, are being provided to 4 crore 30 lakh homes where real-time information about the world is reaching the doorsteps of crores of rural households and areas nearing the border.

He also underlined that education and entertainment are also reaching those sections of society that have been deprived for decades.

He informed that various types of education courses are available on DTH channels where the knowledge of more than one university is directly reaching the homes.

The Prime Minister pointed out that it has been of great help for crores of students in the country, especially during the Corona period.

“Be it DTH or FM radio, this power gives us a window to peep into future India. We have to prepare ourselves for this future,” Modi remarked.