-The Telegraph
Dispur is determined to launch a “constructive” television channel, stung by the “adverse” coverage of the recent Ulfa bandh during the Prime Minister’s visit by the local electronic media.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi revealed the government’s intention during an interaction with reporters here this afternoon, explaining how most local TV channels had gone overboard with the bandh coverage on April 20.
Incidentally, a day later, on April 21, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said her government would launch its own newspaper and television channel to highlight the administration’s achievements and counter attempts by “a section of the media” to “malign the government”.
Assam government’s proposed TV, Gogoi said, was the need of the hour to convey the government’s side of the story even though he swore by the freedom of expression.
The move, however, has been widely interpreted as one aimed at curbing the freedom of expression as well as dividing the media.
“The channel is needed to give our side of the story. Tell me who benefited from the bandh? Such coverage only helps militants, the Paresh Barua faction of Ulfa and fuel extortion and kidnapping cases. Print media is by far more sober in its coverage,” Gogoi said.
When asked why the state went jittery by advising cancellation and rescheduling of trains in the run-up to the bandh, which most believed triggered the hype, Gogoi said: “We had to take certain precautions.”
He said he does not mind being seen as emulating Banerjee but his move came earlier than the Bengal chief minister’s.
Gogoi had announced his intention to launch a TV in the 2010-11 budget, something which he forgot to mention during the media briefing but clarified later that it was the same TV channel he was talking about.
The director of the directorate of information and public relations, Ranjit Gogoi, told The Telegraph that the government gave the administrative approval for the 2010-11 budget proposal to launch a state-controlled satellite/cable/TV channel last month.
“Work is on on the project. We will be preparing the detailed project report now. We had sought around Rs 100 crore for the project in 2010-11,” Ranjit Gogoi said.
Giving a peek of what the contents of the proposed “constructive” TV channel, he said the state-controlled TV would cover educational and news programmes benefiting the farming community, similar to the ones telecast on Doordarshan, which has a loyal viewership.