Manipur media fraternity have decided to boycott news related to the Manipur government, BJP Manipur and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) if the pending advertisement bills are not cleared by April 23.
A joint meeting of publishers, members of Editors Guild Manipur (EGM), Manipur Hill Journalists Union (MHJU) and All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU), which are supporting the movement, held at Manipur Press Club on Friday has given all three parties of deadline of April 23 to clear all pending advertisement bills, stated AMWJU and EGM in a joint release.
It stated that the bills of the two political parties pertaining to election advertisement of the recently concluded 2022 election running into lakhs of rupees of both the parties, mostly outsourced to external advertising agencies, remain unpaid even as the election process has ended and government installed.
In case of the Manipur government, bills running into nearly Rs 10 crore have been lying unpaid for several years, it added.
The issue was raised by the media fraternity on November 27, 2021 through a memorandum to the then IPR minister, it stated, adding, an assurance from the chief minister and strict instruction to his ministries led to suspension of any form of agitation and the media fraternity waited.
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Moreover, a meeting with the chief secretary also resulted in further assurance to clear all bills by March 31, it further stated.
However, nearly five months since the issue was raised, except for around 10 per cent of the pending bills, no further payments have been forthcoming, it added.
“Media houses are already reeling under the impact of Covid pandemic and the shrinking market has been accommodative to the government’s problems,” it further stated. The joint meeting has now set 4 pm of April 23 as the deadline for clearance of the bills failing which a meeting is being convened on the same day to discuss the method and details of the boycott.
“The meeting resolved to appeal both the presidents of BJP Manipur and MPCC to clear the bills by April 23 or face boycott,” it mentioned.
Those attending the meeting expressed hope that both the political parties and the government will be sympathetic to the appeal of the media and avoid any confrontation which is not the purpose of the resolution, it added.
