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Speaker considering curbs on visual media

Special Correspondent

`The idea is to ensure uniform coverage of Assembly proceedings'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Speaker K. Radhakrishnan announced here on Saturday that he was considering restrictions on coverage of Assembly proceedings by the visual media.

At a press conference here, the Speaker said that an official set-up for providing video feeds, similar to that in Parliament, was under consideration.

Admitting that the proposed system would curtail freedom of television channels, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the idea was to ensure uniform coverage of the proceedings. Now, the channels were reporting the proceedings in different ways.

He denied that the restrictions were proposed because the channels showed members, including Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, taking a nap in the House. The final decision on the matter would be taken only after wider discussions.

The Speaker said that another round of training programme for legislators would be organised on October 2 and 3, in collaboration with the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee would inaugurate the programme.

There were also plans to give computer training to the legislators in batches of 20.

Though only basic training in the use of computers was being provided at this stage, elaborate training was under consideration.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said that it would not be possible to replace all the 16 Ordinances issued during the last two months during the coming session of the Assembly.

The Assembly would be spending 13 days of the session on financial business and six days for other Government business. Five days were earmarked for private members' business.

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