MENACE OF PAID NEWS

Formation of media panels hangs fire
Nainital, January 2

Despite stringent measures ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to tackle the menace of paid news after the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, the constitution of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) is yet to take off. Meanwhile, media organisations across the state are learnt to be devising ways and techniques to increase their “election revenue”.

Sources in the government say that there are some roadblocks emerging with regards to the constitution of the MCMCs. While there is no doubt that the two members of the committees will be the Deputy District

Election Officers, problems are being encountered with regards to the other two members.

One of the members has to come from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Sources say that while the orders have been sent across to the departments under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry like the song and drama division, most of the officials are busy holding voter awareness campaigns and other such works. However, they say that this will be resolved in a day or so.

The maximum confusion is prevailing with regards to the fourth member which is to be an independent person or journalist nominated by the Press Council of India (PCI). The officials say that they are unclear when such persons will be nominated and notified.

The sources further said the job for recording and monitoring of news being run in the electronic medium and print medium was being outsourced to credible agencies.

Meanwhile, sources within the media industry pointed out that ever since the Model Code of Conduct was implemented, several television channels had managed to hoodwink the authorities on the issue of paid news.

The sources said money had been changing hands for repeatedly running one to one interviews with politicians who had either been declared as candidates or were in the line for getting the party ticket.

The sources further said the marketing professionals had already been given huge targets to meet during the poll campaign.

The Joint Chief Election Officer for the state Saujanya had said here a week back that this time the commission’s own teams would be monitoring the expenses incurred instead of the earlier practice of relying only on the declarations made by the candidates.

She had also asserted that stringent measures would be taken to check the menace of paid news.

ND Tiwari floats Nirantar Vikas Samiti

Body to fight Vidhan Sabha elections

Dehradun, January 2
Veteran Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari, who had been sidelined by the party following a sex scandal in Hyderabad Raj Bhawan, has created a stir in the party circles by announcing the formation of a society that will contest all 70 Assembly seats in the state.

Tiwari is the patron of the Nirantar Vikas Samiti and his private secretary Sanjay Joshi is the general secretary of the organisation. The move is seen as part of the strategy by Tiwari to pressurise the Congress high command to accommodate his favourites on the list of Congress candidates.

Tiwari has been trying hard to get party nomination for his former private secretary Aryaendra Sharma from the Sahaspur Assembly segment in Dehradun district and his own nephew Manish Tiwari from the Khatima Assembly segment in Udham Singh Nagar district.

Interacting with the media at his residence, Tiwari declined forming any political party but hosted a meeting of the Nirantar Vikas Samiti at his residence here today.

The development happens at a crucial time for the Congress when its screening committee is busy finalising the name of party candidates in New Delhi.

“I am not floating any political party. I have no wish to contest as I am 87,” Tiwari told mediapersons.

Nirantar Vikas Samiti spokesperson Bharat Sharma said, “We have received 350 applications. The Nirantar Vikas Samiti will be fielding selected persons as independent candidates. Many BJP and Congress leaders are in contact with the NVS. The samiti will be forming a national council of independent candidates and will also contest the UP Assembly poll. ND Tiwari will be the guiding force of the organisation”.

The development is viewed as a last-ditch effort by Tiwari to convey to the party high command that he is still around and cannot be ignored. Tiwari has his area of influence in the Nainital and Terai regions of Kumaon, his native place.

His supporters had also erected his posters and banners in the town but were quickly removed. 

Bad weather may hit voting in remote areas

Mussoorie, January 2
If the weather remained inclement on January 30, election booths in far-flung areas in the hill districts of Tehri and Mussoorie may witness a low turnout of voters.

Many booths in both districts are approachable only by foot. In Tehri district, the election booth at Junior High School, Bhavna Kyara village, is too far that voters will have to walk several kilometres to caste their vote.

More than five booths in the Narendar Nagar Assembly segment are situated at a distance of 20 km from the main road. The Gangi booth in Ghansali is 22 km away while the Pasni booth in the Dhanaulti Assembly segment is 18 km from the main road.

In the Mussoorie Assembly segment, voters will have to walk several kilometres to reach the election booths at Hathipaon, Chaskhet, Bulhat and Chamasari, which is difficult in inclement weather.

However, political parties have heaved a sigh of relief with the Election Commission giving them an assurance that the elections could be rescheduled in the booths that would be affected by heavy snowfall.