Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) and Information, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali Thursday stressed on the need to adapt latest technology and adequate measures for enhancing creativity in the functioning of Information Department.Chairing a review meeting of the Information Department here today, the Minister said the Department has to increase its quantum of creative work so that all the developmental works and achievements of the Government could be highlighted in a professional manner.Reiterating the importance of tapping into all the available resources and utilizing the new ones, the Minister the Department has to mobilize all its wings and needs to adapt the latest technology in order to increase its efficiency.He said nowadays people have varied options to obtain news and happenings which include online news portals, mobile, TV channels, and social media outlets and everything latest is available to a user in a jiffy. He said keeping in mind the Department needs to utilize all the means for information dissemination to keep pace with the fast changing info scenario.On the occasion, the Minister was briefed that the twitter handles of all the Cabinet Ministers have been opened and are operational where everything latest about the Minister’s activity is put online instantly.
The Minister directed to have a dedicated staff who will regularly update the Department’s news portal and advertisement portal so that all the Government activities are in full public view.Zulfkar Ali also stressed on creating creative content by the Department which will thoroughly highlight various achievements and programmes of the Government, among other things for which he directed to earmark two percent from the Department’s budget.He also directed the concerned to make a compressive proposal where all the State departments running various centrally sponsored schemes could be asked to provide certain percentage from these schemes towards Information Department to highlight and promote these schemes. He said once ready the proposal with all inbuilt provisions could be forwarded to Chief Minister’s office for approval.
The meeting also discussed the Department’s ‘re-organization and recruitment rules’ at length. The Minister said besides other things the Department should ensure that a proper organizational chart is formulated so that it clearly indicates the hierarchy within the Department. The Secretary Information was also directed to take up the matter at an earliest with Secretary Service Selection Board to fill the vacant posts in the Department as per the rules and regulations.
It was also decided to make the developmental programme ‘Akse-Parvaz’ an in-House programme. Director Information, Muneer-ul Islam assured the Minister that the Department would not only enhance the quality of the programme, but with the same budget would also do outreach programmes to highlight the various developmental initiatives taken by the Government in far corners of the State.Zulfkar Ali also directed to hold separate cultural festivals, both in Jammu and Kashmir divisions of the State. It was decided that Jammu would hold the festival in August, while the Valley would act as host for the same in the month of September this year.He also asked to submit proposal for extending the space of Research and Reference wing of the Department so that the treasure of books, periodicals and newspapers present would get adequate space for visitors to see.
During the meeting various facets of the ‘Journalist Welfare Scheme’ was also discussed. The Minister was informed the scheme is scheme is in the final stage and would be made public soon.Secretary Information Department M H Malik, Director Information Department Muneer-ul-Islam, Joint Director Information Department (Headquarter) Kashmir Abdul Majeed Zargar, Joint Director Kashmir Zahoor Ahmed Mir, Joint Director Information Jammu Manisha Sarin, Deputy Director (PR) Directorate Sheikh Zahoor, Deputy Director Information (PR) Kashmir Farooq Ahmad Baba, and Deputy Director (PR) Jammu, Avleen Kaur attended the meeting.Later, a delegation of small and medium level newspaper editors and reporters had an interaction with the Minister to discuss various issues. The Minister gave them a patient hearing and assured all possible support from the Government.