Media persons are torchbearers for the masses: Jamshedpur DC

�Vartalap� media workshop by PIB, Dist Administration

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur: Press Information Bureau (PIB), the nodal agency of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, is a bridge connecting the government to the media through which all projects, schemes and policies are conveyed to the last man.

Chief guest, East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar, while quoting legendary Hindi and Urdu litterateur Munshi Premchand said, �The media is the torch bearer that enlightens people of the government�s policies, projects and schemes so that people concerned can reap the benefits for enhanced economic productivity.�

Earlier, the workshop was jointly inaugurated by chief guest and Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar, PIB Additional Director General (Patna Region) SK Malviya, DDC East Singhbhum B Maheshwari, District Civil Surgeon Dr Maheshwari Prasad, Joint Director PIB (Ranchi) and senior journalist Jai Prakash. Deputy Director ROB (Ranchi) SNM Rizvi welcomed the guests and participating journalists and broadly outlined the purpose of PIB and this workshop. Journalists from all newspapers and electronic media were present at the event.

In his address, SK Malviya observed that the credibility of the media was under threat due to news surfacing on the social media. �The news appearing in the social medias are more based on heresy, misconcepts, wrong or incomplete information or plain mischief mongering. Genuine information are rare and far between. However, the print media largely serves its purpose because of authentic reporting that builds readers� confidence based on accuracy of reporting.�

Senior journalist Jai Prakash while appreciating the district machinery�s prompt and detailed feed on government schemes and their promulgation pointed out that regional dailies were more popular than their national counterparts as readers were more interested in information about happenings and schemes on their part of the region. �Local and regional dailies are catalytic agents as people get updated information about government policies, schemes and projects for which the district administration constantly keeps us informed,� he stated.

In his address, DDC B Maheshwari noted that the social media was in overlapping mode on the print media especially because the younger generation preferred the social media over the print media. He said, �This generation should be induced into the print media folds so that they are fed with authentic news rather than negative information.�

The DDC informed that the district attained the second spot for implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme and had also been recognized for its cleanliness drive by the Swachh Sarvekshan team.

Chief guest, DC East Singhbhum Amit Kumar underlined that meeting the aspirations and expectations of the masses were challenges for the media and it was meeting these head on with authentic news coverage by highly reliable journalists. �People get to know about various government schemes and projects aimed at bettering the communities� socio-economic status and the media, through sincere reporting carry the messages to the last person,� Amit Kumar stated.

The Deputy Commissioner was highly appreciative of the Sakhi Mandals who were rendering yeomen service to the farming communities by catering to their needs of seeds, implements and marketing.

The surprise package in the PIB workshop was the presence of young farmer from Patamda Srimant Kumar Mishra. He had been on a government sponsored trip to Israel to learn the agricultural skills of the people of that country. �It is a very small country with an approximate population of 65 lakh people. But they are adopting modern techniques to farming and that is the reason for their quantitative and qualitative farm produce,� Mishra said.

He said that he was going around villages at block levels and acquainting farmers with the newly learnt techniques. He also informed that small ponds had been dug up besides farming zone by which water sources from higher levels were collected at lower land areas. The villagers, working in cooperative systems were also into fish farming in these ponds. �We also grow vegetables between 40 odd mango trees that we have tended. As for basic infrastructure, we require financial support from the government which we do expect to get.�

The government schemes discussed in detail were Ayushman Bharat Yojna, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna and Jan Dhan Yojna with relevant data.

Joint Director PIB (Ranchi) Moneshwar Dole proposed the vote of thanks.