PCI directs UP Govt not to harass journalists

New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) The Press Council of India (PCI)has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to ensure that the press is not harassed in any manner and journalists do not face any hinderance in the performance of their duties.

The Council has also directed the Chhattisgarh Government to be transparent and non-discriminative in the release of advertisements.

The PCI directive to the Uttar Pradesh government came on a complaint by Mr Dinesh Pankaj, Editor and publisher of Kamgaron Ki Dunya, Mathura, that the Assistant Labour Commissioner of the state was harassing them following publication of a series of critical news reports.

It said the Labour Department of the state should not create any undue pressure on the printing press, which may hamper the complainant in publishing his magazine.

''Any type of pressure by government authorities, direct or indirect amounts to curtailment of the freedom of the Press,'' it said.

The directive to the Chhattisgarh Government was issued after Mr Suresh Chandra Rohra, Nai Dunya correspondent and president of the Chhattisgrah Patrakar Sangharsh Samiti complained to the Council that the state government was attempting centralisation of government advertisements, thereby promoting corruption and working against the interest of small newspapers.

The Council asked the state goivernment to study the PCI's model advertisement policy while formulating its own.

The PCI decision were taken at its meeting held here recently.

UNI NAZ PR VC2002