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Govt. to implement media policy on June 7

Special Correspondent

Aim to protect the interests of journalists

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday announced that the State's media policy would be implemented after discussing it threadbare on June 7.

Speaking at a meeting of the Chandigarh-Punjab Union of Journalists here, he claimed that Haryana would be the first state to implement such a policy. The key focus of the media policy was to protect the interests of the media persons. His Government had already constituted a Press Accreditation Committee in the interests of journalists.

Mr. Hooda maintained that journalism was the Fourth Estate of democracy and Press had a major role to play. Several leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Lok Manya Bal Ganga Dhar Tilak, Gopal Krishan Gokhle, Raja Ram Mohan Rai and Jawahar Lal Nehru were also associated with journalism and they had contributed their mite to inspire the youth and infuse the feeling of patriotism through their thought- provoking writings.

Stating that he was a staunch supporter of the freedom of press, he urged the journalists not to misuse their profession for petty gains but work for the betterment of society and the country.

While referring to the declining sex-ratio in Punjab and Haryana, he asserted that this social evil should be tackled on priority.

Commenting on the role of electronic media played during the scuffle between police and the labourers at Gurgaon sometime ago, he claimed that the incident would have been averted if a channel had not telecast it in an exaggerated manner.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said that some anti-social forces were bent upon destabilising the country as these were not able to digest "our'' achievements.

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