india

Updated: Apr 22, 2019 23:50 IST

The Press Council of India (PCI), a quasi-judicial body, has complained to the Election Commission (EC) that the journalists nominated by it to the state-level Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMC) are not being invited to their meetings.

The PCI watchdog nominates journalists to the district and state-level MCMCs that are constituted to ensure that there are no cases of paid news in print, electronic and digital media. These committees also monitor all political advertisements in electronic and print media to check if the content and the ads are being published with the consent of the candidate in whose expense account the advertisement will be added.

“… It has come to the notice of the Press Council of India that PCI’s members nominated to the State Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committees are not getting appropriate assistance from the State Election Authorities to carry out their mandate in the States and they are being not invited for the meetings of the State Level MCMCs,” the print media watchdog wrote in a letter to the Election Commission. HT has seen a copy of the letter dated April 22.

At the end of the second phase of elections on April 18, the poll watchdog had identified 51 cases of paid news.

According to CK Naik, member PCI, the chief electoral officers of many states and union territories have not even intimated the PCI nominees about the state-level MCMCs even though it is mandatory as per EC’s guidelines. The Council also urged the EC to ask state election authorities to take necessary remedial steps. “Interestingly, this time many PCI members who were nominated to SLMCMC have not been intimated to attend its meetings as per ECI guidelines, even though polls will be over in many states with the third phase ending tomorrow,” said Naik.

For the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the PCI chairman nominated 15 members for SLMCMCs in 15 states/UTs before the first phase of elections started.

“We have often heard in our Council meetings that the State ECs taking up the nominated member of the PCI casually, inviting him/her at the 11th hour...,” the letter signed by many members to the PCI chairman read. An EC official said the commission will follow due process to take a view on the matter.