This Directorate is receiving regular feedback of field activities from its 22 Regional Offices located mostly in States capital in the form of Monthly Performance Report, detailing publicity activities conducted by the Field Units spread far and wide of the country. The programmes are conducted for generating awareness among the public on various issues of national importance and social implications. Generally school and college students, village elders, panchayat leaders and opinion makers, health workers, social workers, women self help-group, rural and tribal women, socially and economically deprived classes are the target audience. The media unreached remote villages, tribal areas, hill terrain and naxalite & terrorist infested areas are the priority areas DFP tries to reach with informative communication system. The Directorate resorts to various modes of communication such as Film shows, Photo exhibitions, Song & Drama and other live entertainment programmes, various Competitions, Inter- Personal Communications like Group Discussions, Public Debates, Question Answer Sessions etc. to disseminate the messages.  Some of the themes find regular mentioning in publicity campaigns are Health and Family Welfare, AIDS Awareness, NIDDCP, National Integration & Communal Harmony, Common Minimum Programme of the UPA Govt., Welfare Schemes for the socially and physically disadvantaged people, SC/ST & Senior Citizens, Land Reforms, Drinking Water, Self-Employment, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, NREGA, RTI etc.  Performance of the Directorate in this field during the month of February,2007is given below:

Performance report of the Directorate during the month February- 2007

Justification for shortfalls in programme activities:

             The Units in interior/border areas are operating in hazardous/inclement weather  conditions with inadequate infrastructure. Some parts of North East and J & K are experiencing law and order problem on account of militancy, which badly affects the performance of units operating there.        

                  Shortage of field staff and vehicles adversely affects the mobility and performance of the Units. At present there are only 95 Field Publicity Officers and 1226 Supporting Staff to man 207 Field Units, 22 Regional Offices and DFP Hqrs. The acute shortage of FPOs, the backbone of field communication services, is seriously deteriorating the functional efficiency of the Directorate. The Directorate needs a minimum of 230 FPOs to carry out publicity programmes, matching the targets.  Out of 287 vehicle in possession of the Directorate, only 173 vehicles are roadworthy against its requirement of 231 vehicles for 207 FPUs + 22 Regional Offices + 2 staff cars at DFP Hqrs. Merger of several Units with adjoining Unit widens the operational area of the existing units. This will also affect the performance of the Units. Absence of relevant software/publicity materials in time also adversely affects campaign activities. Client Ministries/Agencies are not always keen to supply the necessary software timely.