Srinagar- Accredited journalists on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the distribution of passes for the oath-taking ceremony of the new Jammu and Kashmir government led by Omar Abdullah.
Omar Abdullah is scheduled to take oath as Chief Minister tomorrow, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administering the oath to his cabinet.
However, several journalists have raised concerns, describing the pass distribution process as “lacking transparency”, reported news agency KINS.
“Only a few journalists or media organizations have received passes,” an accredited journalist said, alleging that the selection process was unclear.
Another journalist echoed this sentiment, criticizing the “pick and choose” approach used to determine media access for such a significant event.
When contacted, Syed Jeelani from the Information Department confirmed that 50 to 60 passes had been issued to media houses. “There is nothing like lack of transparency or ‘pick and choose’; we have issued 50 to 60 passes to media organizations,” Jeelani stated, though he did not clarify the criteria for selecting recipients.
“We are eager to cover this important event, but may not be able to attend without the required passes,” another accredited journalist remarked.
One of the Journalists said that they have brought the matter into the notice of Director Information.
Journalists have appealed the Secretary and Director of Information to intervene, expressing hope that these officials will address the issue and ensure fair and transparent access in future.
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