The three-member team of Press Council of India (PCI) led by Mr S N Sinha held extensive deliberations with the media-persons here today.Around 50 media-persons from North Kashmir representing print, electronic and digital media organizations in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts attended the meeting and briefed the visiting PCI team about their issues. Deputy Director Information (PR) Kashmir, Mr Farooq Ahmad Baba, District Information Officers of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora and Administrative Officer Directorate of Information & Public Relations were also present at the meeting.The issues raised by media-persons included setting up of Press Club, expanding scope of Accreditation to accommodate district correspondents, better wages, better communication facilities, health insurance and welfare schemes to facilitate discharge of their professional duties.
The media-persons, among others included, Qaramat Qayoom, Sajad Hussain Peer, Zargar Gulzar, Altaf Baba, Shahid Imran, Muneeb-ul-Haq, Syed Fayaz Bukhari, Abid Nabi, Suhail Khan, Irshad Ahmad Bhat and Rahi Nissar.The PCI team also met the DIG Police Baramulla, Nitish Kumar, SSP Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain and Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla N A Baba.The PCI panel is currently on a weeklong visit to Kashmir to get first-hand information about the issues and challenges confronting the media-persons in J&K.The members of the visiting Sub-Committee include Mr C K Nayak, Dr Suman Gupta and Mr Naveen Joshi.The PCI team will be visiting Anantnag tomorrow to meet the local journalists there.They are also scheduled to meet the Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, and Director General of Police Dr S P Vaid.The delegation of J&K Joint Forum of Newspapers Editors led by Mr Ghulam Hassan Kaloo is meeting the PCI team at State Guest on 21 July 2017.The PCI team will be visiting Jammu and Ladakh separately before finalizing their report on media scenario in Jammu and Kashmir.