Srinagar, October 10:The issue of empanelment of newspapers today echoed both the houses of legislature after CPI (M) legislator Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami and National Conference (NC) legislator Dr Shehnaz Ganai raised the issue separately.
While raising the issue in Lower House, Tarigami said that local unapproved newspapers of JK are facing serious problems in absence of the meeting for their empanelling vis-à-vis government advertisements.
“Earlier in the month of June-2015 government had formed the empanelment committee and had assured to hold the meeting soon. The government had also formed the new advertisement policy. However, neither the committee holds any meeting nor the newly advertisement policy is implemented…While a meeting for empanelling the new newspapers had to take place after every six months, no such meeting has been convened from last four years as a result many unapproved newspapers are suffering a great deal and this house must ensure that the justice is meted out to them,” the CPI (M) legislator told the House Deputy Speaker Nazir Gurezi.
Tarigami called for holding meeting for empanelment of new newspapers and also immediate framing of the new advertisement policy by the Information Department.
Taking note of the issue, the Deputy Speaker directed the concerned Minister to look into the matter, saying press is the fourth pillar of democracy.
Similarly, the issue was also raised by Dr Shehnaz Ganai in the Upper House and she told the Deputy Chairman during zero hour that these newspapers are facing lot of difficulties in absence of government empanelment. She said that media acts as watchdog and demanded quick redressal of the House.
The other members of the House also supported Shehnaz and demanded that the Government should immediately sort the issue of local newspapers and hold the meeting. The Deputy Chairman asked the government to look into the matter.