The India Post, Chandigarh, 4th November, 2008 :Virtually giving effect to the recommendations of the Public Relations Minister, Mr.Bikram Singh Majithia, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today ordered the setting up of State and District Level Joint Committees of Government and Media representatives to look into complaints by and against the media persons in the State. These committees would also advise the Government on the guidelines to be observed for greater media -Government interaction and understanding. These committees would also keep the Minister for Information and Public Relations apprised of their suggestions and recommendations from time to time.
Stating this Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains said here today that similar committees would be set up at every district headquarter also. While Mr. Bains would be the Chairperson of the State level committee, the Deputy Commissioners of respective districts would head these panels in their areas.
Mr. Bains said that the State level committee would also have Principal Secretary Department of Home Affairs and Justice, President or Secretary General of the Chandigarh Press Club, a representative of the organization of the affected journalist or of the person aggrieved against a particular Media person/persons and Legal experts as members.
Similarly, said Mr.Bains the District level committees would have, in addition to the Deputy Commissioner, District Information Public Relations Officer, an accredited journalist (to be nominated by the media), a representative of the organization of the affected journalist or his perceived victim/victims , and a nominee of the Chief Minister as member.
Mr. Bains said that these committees have been set up in pursuance of the commitments made in the SAD-BJP manifesto and are based on the recommendations made by Mr. Majithia to the Chief Minister. He said that Mr. Majithia also got these recommendations incorporated in the Punjab Govt.’s media policy.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Punjab and Chandigarh journalists met Mr. Parkash Singh Badal at his residence this morning. The delegation asked the Chief Minister, among other things, to set up the joint Media-Government advisory panels. The delegations lead by Mr. Sarbjit Singh Pandher, President, Chandigarh Press Club, also sought an impartial enquiry into the alleged harassment of a journalist in Jalandhar. Mr. Badal directed his Media Advisor to personally ensure complete transparency and the observations of the rule of law in the Jalandhar incident