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Gag order against two Telugu dailies withdrawn

Special Correspondent

Media furore over Vizag district administration's action

VISAKHAPATNAM: A gag order served by the Visakhapatnam district administration on two Telugu dailies seeking to screen before publication news reports pertaining to public servants created a furore in the media on Thursday.

Journalist unions described it as an attempt to curtail the freedom of the press. The Government later intervened and got the order annulled.

These developments followed a notice-cum-interim order served by M. Venkateswara Rao, Revenue Divisional Officer, Visakhapatnam, in his capacity as Sub-Divisional Magistrate on journalists working in the two dailies. The notice, which was served on Editor of Andhra Jyothi K. Ramachandra Murthy, Editor of Leader V. V. Ramana Murthy, and others said the dailies had been publishing adverse news items about alleged land deals by IAS, IPS officers, other civil servants besides politicians in the city.

Embarrassed

Embarrassed by the episode, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy intervened and sought an explanation from district Collector Praveen Prakash. In a statement, Dr. Reddy said such orders had no place in a democracy. He said he was informed that the Additional District Magistrate of Visakhapatnam had since cancelled the RDO's interim orders.

In his notice, the RDO held that under powers vested in Sec. 144 of Cr.P.C., that any news item published in the two newspapers that could malign the personal character and value system of any public servant should hereafter pass through a screening committee, comprising The Hindu chief of bureau R. Sampath, Vaartha chief of bureau S.S. Shiva Shankar and Eenaadu's reporter Srinivas as members, with the DPRO as its convener.

Journalists gathered at the Collectorate, where a press briefing on the Visakha Utsav was scheduled to be conducted, held a demonstration denouncing the official's action. Mr. Sampath and Mr. Shiva Shankar, whose consent was not taken before they were made members of the screening committee, protested against their inclusion and announced that they were quitting as chairman and co-chairman respectively of the media sub-committee of Visakha Utsav.

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