The Press Council of India (PCI) is still awaiting the report of its sub-committee which is going into the issue of what is “paid news” and what is an advertisement. It would study the report and later forward its opinion to the Election Commission which is enquiring into a complaint against Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on the controversy.
PCI Chairman Justice G.N. Ray told The Hindu on Thursday that since the sub-committee was a broad-based one it was studying the issue deeply and it would take another one-and-a-half to two months to forward the Press Council’s opinion to the Election Commission.
He replied in the negative when asked whether the Council had submitted an interim report to the Commission.
The EC had already stated that it would await the PCI’s report on “paid news” before deciding the complaint against Mr. Chavan that he paid money to newspapers for publishing reports in his favour.