FIRST MCMC MEET HELD AT RAYAGADA
Dr. Badal Tah,Rayagada, Odishabarta , April 6 : First Media Certification & Monitoring Committee(MCMC) meeting was held in Sadbhabana Hall under the Chairmanship of Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan in the presence of ADM Bhaskar Chandra Raita, ADM Trinath Majhi, Deputy Collector Suryamani Bhoi, Vijay Naik, Chinmay Mahanand, Assistant Collector Mutanjay Barala, Sushmita Patnaik & Member of MCMC Senior Journalist Baldal Tah, Information Science Officer Gunasekhar, Deputy Director Information and Public Relations Department Basant Pradhan. The Committee discussed on various aspects of paid news in print, electronic, web, social media, local channels, etc. Pradhan was directed to have a meeting at his level to sensitize web reporters, local channel owners, social media bloggers like WhatsApp, Instagram-Facebook, Google, etc
“For example, in a print media, the tag line is paucity of drinking water in a particular area; but inside the write-up, the contesting candidate’s assurance to eradicate the said problem if he is voted to power. This will be considered as “paid news” and the cost will be included in the expenditure of the candidate. Candidates can advertise in any medium with the certification & permission of the MCMC in a prescribed format. Action will be taken against the news published without permission & the matter will also be informed to Press Council of India. So each member should have a watch on paid news apart from hate speech, rumours like postponement of election, news hurting religious or caste sentiments of any community, instigation to void vote en masse in a particular area, etc”, said Mahajan.
The paid news including personal glorification, if any, must be calculated for a candidate from the date of his declaration by the political party. If his candidature is either withdrawn by the party or he himself withdraws from filing the nomination, in such case, the expenditure incurred by him will be accrued to the political party’s account, which does not have any limit in election expenses. Mahajan cited an example of a candidate from Tamilnadu Election-2022 for excess expenditure than the limit prescribed by the Election Commission of India(ECI) for which ECI had to stay the election in that constituency. If a candidate exceeds the limit of expenses prescribed by ECI, the District Election Officer will let this know to the State Chief Election Officer officiating on behalf of ECI, who is authorized to take judicious decision, said Mahajan. He instructed the officials to come thoroughly prepared for this meeting which will recur in each Saturday.
After the review, he alongwith the MCMC members inspected the control room, MCMC room and reviewed vigilance and social media functions with the responsible staff present there. He directed the Dy Director, I&PR Pradhan not to allow outsiders in these rooms, put up a MCMC board/banner outside the room and facilitate receiving applications for certification of advertisements and complaints by citizens. Pradhan tendered vote of thanks.
“We have come to know from a reliable source that the Election Commission will now post expenditure details of individual candidates on the public domain after every inspection by Returning Officers. The public can see and challenge it during the elections itself. Earlier, expenditure details used to be posted online after the candidate submitted his/her records within 30 days after the elections The expenditure details will be scanned and posted on the District Election Officer’s (DEO) website and a link to this will be provided on the CEO Odisha website for public viewing. If anyone finds that the candidate has provided false information, he/she can report the issue to the commission. Hope, Mahajan, a first-timer Collector, adheres to this minimum quality standard as a challenge and other parameters fixed by ECI”, said Rasmi Ranjan Dora, a political analyst and a senior scribe of Rayagada.
