SrinagarThe Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) has initiated legal action against the editor of a local newspaper for allegedly forcing his entry into the office of the Joint Director Information (JDI) Kashmir and manhandling the Joint Director and his staff.
According to a statement from the Information Department, the editor came marching to their office this morning shouting that adequate advertisements were not being issued to his newspaper Asian Mail by the department. “He entered into our office and without any reason started hurling choicest abuses at all of us and tried to manhandle the Joint Director Information saying that adequate advertisements were not being released to his newspaper, the statement said.
Following the incident JDI Kashmir lodged a written complaint with the police in this regard and has also informed the concerned authorities in the Government about the incident.
Taking a serious note of the incident, Director Information & Public Relations, Mr Muneer-ul-Islam said that he will be personally raising the issue with the representatives of various Editors Forums in the State.
Meanwhile, the JDI Kashmir has sought police protection for his office to prevent recurrence of such ugly incidents in future. The employees have complained that they are frequently being harassed by editors of some small-time newspapers for not releasing bulk advertisements to their publications.
Pertinently, a payment of Rs 13.76 lakh has been made by DIPR to the Asian Mail newspaper during the past fiscal on account of advertisement support from the Government, which is the highest in that category of newspapers.
Meanwhile Rashid Rahil, editor Asian Mail denied allegation leveled by Jt Director Information that he manhandled him.
Rahil however admitted he visited the office of Jt Director, Kashmir and had an argument with him the over the issue of advertisements after the said officer ignored his repeated telephone calls. “Jt Director refused to give me reasons for arbitrary curtailment of ad volume saying I am not answerable to newspaper editors,” he said. Rahil said the officer was not behaving like a public servant and has bought disrepute to the orghanization he works for.
Several journalists complain that the there is widespread nepotism and corruption in the Information Department and certain officers are hand in glove with some newspaper owners in this scandal.
Several upright officers in the department admit privately that the department is beset with chronic problems, including nepotism and corruption, but express their inability to take corrective measures, as according to them the corrupt officers enjoy the blessing of various politicians, mostly from ruling dispensation.