Be partner in State's development: Mein to scribes

From our correspondent

Itagar, Nov 16: Aruchal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chow Mein on Thursday exhorted the State’s media fraternity to continue to function as a partner in development of the State by way of constructive and developmental jourlism.

“I hope we will be able to build a positive image of this beautiful State of the Northeast before the world by reflecting the good things of the State, as media functions as a mirror of the society as well as a looking glass for the outsiders,” Mein said while addressing the tiol Press Day here.

Responding to a memorandum submitted by the press fraternity, Mein assured to release an amount of five crore for construction of the Press Club building besides considering for enhancement of advertisement rates for local newspapers, framing of an advertisement policy for the electronic media and enhancement of jourlist welfare fund.

While appreciating the contributions of the jourlists for the development of the State, Mein said the government was aware of the challenges and difficulties faced by the jourlists while discharging their duties.

He said role of media in dissemiting the government programme and policies are more significant for Aruchal where many people especially, the rural masses and youth, were uware of the government welfare schemes due to which they failed to avail the benefits.

The deputy chief minister said the government’s priority is to look into the welfare of the media fraternity and to safeguard the interests of the scribes for a free and fair press.

While extending his best wishes to the media fraternity, Mein said that media has a very significant role to play in the progress of the country and it is said that a democracy without media is like a vehicle without wheels.           

Parliamentary secretary for Information and Public Relation (IPR) Mama tung in his speech appreciated the media for acting as a bridge between the government and the people. tung also urged upon the jourlists to focus on important sectors like health, education and agri-horti sectors.

Earlier, in his keynote address Aruchal Press Club (APC) president Chopa Cheda said that tiol Press Day is not just a day of celebration for the press fraternity or to commemorate the sacrifice of the scribes for the cause of truth, but it is a day of celebration for integrity and co-existence in a healthy society.

The reason behind celebrating the Day at Ziro was to bind all the scribes of the State with a single string, Cheda said.

Next year we are planning to hold the programme at msai. It is a kind of outreach programme which we are planning to benefit the masses,” he added.

The function was organized jointly by APC, Aruchal Pradesh Union of Working Jourlist (APUWJ) and Aruchal Electronic Media Association (AEMA) in collaboration with State Information and Public Relation department.

V Ravindran Award for excellence in jourlism which has been instituted this year was given to six young jourlists in various categories from both print and electronic media.