Scribes to oppose law against sting operations

Hardwar, Mar 26 (UNI) Journalists will oppose any law enacted by Parliament to curb sting operations, K. Vikram Rao, the national president of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) said today.

Addressing a state level convention of the IFWJ here, he said, "We would oppose such a legislation." Mr Rao was referring to a statement of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee that a law would be enacted to curb sting operations.

" If the Chief Justice of the apex court of the country had admitted there was erosion of credibility of the judiciary and the common people were losing faith in the legislature and the executive, the sting operations had a role to play in exposing corruption at high places," he said.

Mr. Rao also said that instead of the existing Press Council of India a Media Council, presided over by a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court and consisting of representatives from the print and the electronic media and some eminent persons from other walks of life, should be set up to check exploitation of journalists by the proprietors of the newspapers. Also, it would to keep a tab on journalists who violate the norms of healthy journalism, he said.

The convention also passed a resolution demanding the setting up of a new wage board by the central government.

Uttaranchal minister for Information&Parliamentary affairs, Dr.

Indira Hridyesh, who attended the inaugural session of the convention as the chief guest, said that the state government would write to the Union Minister for Information and broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi to set up the wage board for working journalists at the earliest.

The convention was attended by members and the office bearers of the national, the state and the district units of the IFWJ, besides delegates from all the districts of the state.

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