| NEW
DELHI: In a step that was being forecast by broadcasting pundits for some time,
Arun Bhatnagar today told the Delhi High Court that he has tendered his resignation
as Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board. Bhatnagar
cited dissatisfaction with the functioning of the pubcaster and its Chief Executive
Officer B S Lalli. Bhatnagar,
therefore, sought permission from the Court to withdraw from a public interest
litigation challenging the Government’s decision to grant a three-year extension
to Lalli, but was requested by the judges to assist in the matter, which was thereafter
listed for further hearing on 28 May. Confirming
the news over telephone, Bhatnagar told indiantelevision.com it would not
be appropriate for him to say anything more at this stage. Meanwhile,
another member of the Board who did not wish to be named said Bhatnagar had resigned
under protest and told the Court that he had had enough. According
to the petition by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, while Parliament
had passed a law early last year raising the retirement age of the CEO to 65,
it had not made provision for granting extension to the CEO beyond his term of
appointment. Lalli,
62, took charge as Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati at the end of December
2006. Also
Read: Arun
Bhatnagar is Prasar Bharati chairman | 
