Journalists should write fearlessly against propagandist tendencies: U'khand CM

Dehradun, Nov 15: Warning against propagandist tendencies creeping into Indian politics, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday said journalists should write fearlessly against it.

"Politics today is more about propagating and marketing yourself than serving the society. Journalists should write without fear or favour about such tendencies creeping into our politics so that it could be cleansed," Rawat said.

Speaking at a function organised by "Garhwal Post", a local English daily, he said fearless and objective journalism strengthens democracy.

The newspaper "has set new standards of fearless and objective journalism which is needed to strengthen democratic institutions in the country", he said.

He observed that all four pillars of democracy were doing a good job in Uttarakhand.

Earlier in September, reiterating his commitment towards a clean Ganga, the Chief Minister had directed the authorities to immediately prepare a report on the drains polluting the river in the state.

According to a government release, Rawat in a meeting on the Ganga cleanliness plan in September had directed the district magistrates to create a report on the drains flowing into the river and also identify the villages bordering the river and prepare a report on them.

Rawat said permanent community toilets should be built even in places of floating population and a proposal should be created for the same to improve the drainage system.

He said that a survey of the cities needs to be carried out as to how many drains fall straight into the Ganga and in how many of them water treatment is being carried out.

PTI