Patna: The transmission of All India Radios (AIR) medium wave programmes came to a sudden halt 48 hours ago when thieves carried off a 200-kilowatt transmitter and other vital equipment from Siliguri.
As Siliguris transmitter was the most powerful in the entire north-east region, transmission has been affected in the tea garden pockets of north Bengal, north Bihar and Assam. AIR now plans to transmit the programmes on FM. Under attack in Assam, nearly 6,900 Biharis have fled to the tea gardens dotting the Dooars-Terai area of West Bengal.
This is the first time an AIR transmitter has ever been stolen. When contacted, a spokesman for AIR said the stolen equipment included the matching network, that matches radiating antenna with the transmitting equipment, generator room equipment, copper strips, copper coils and copper plates.
S N Gupta, superintendent of police, Jalpaiguri, ruled out the involvement of militant outfits like the United Liberation Front of Asom or the Kamtapur Liberation Organistation. Sripada Das, the station director, AIR, Siliguri, holds the State Armed Police, West Bengal responsible.
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