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Decision on media corporation deferred

CHANDIGARH: Heads are expected to roll in the Punjab administration after the State Cabinet being “forced” once again to defer grant of its approval to establishment of a Punjab Media Corporation (PMC). No approval was possible because the memorandum on the subject was supplied late and was found to be grossly inadequate in content both legally and on technical grounds.

According to officials, who requested anonymity, intense exchanges were witnessed at the crucial meeting late on Wednesday evening when the Cabinet was asked to deliberate on its last agenda point relating to setting up of the media corporation. At least two Ministers are said to have protested that the memorandum was supplied to them while the meeting was in progress, providing little time for perusal of its aims and contents. While another objected that the powers of the ministers were being eclipsed, a senior member of the Cabinet pointed out that the memorandum suffered from various technical and legal flaws.

A minister, who is a close relative of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, observed that the various objections raised by the Finance Department had not been addressed adequately. It is worth noting that the Finance Minister is a nephew of Mr. Badal, while the PMC concerns the department for Information and Public Relations, whose Minister is again a close relative of the Badal family.

The situation became piquant when the ministers went to the extent of engaging Mr. Badal, who was quite eager to get the matter passed. Mr. Badal at one point asked his ministerial colleagues to either clear the agenda item or allow an additional grant of at least Rs 15 crore to ensure efficient functioning of the Information and Public Relations department. Finally, succumbing to the counter-arguments, he ordered that the matter be deferred till the next meeting of the Cabinet scheduled for next week.

According to the proponents of the proposal, the PMC would be funded by the commission generated on government advertisements released to media which normally goes to some private agency.

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Decision on media corporation deferred

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