IMPCC calls for better cooperation, synergy among media Units across Himachal Pradesh, in North Western Region

Shimla / 28 July / New Super Bharat News

Need to focus on strengthening public morale highlighting positive aspects of normal life & government’s developmental initiatives amid COVID 19 outbreak

The Inter Media Publicity Coordination Committee (IMPCC) of the various units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting today called upon the media units to focus on better synergy and cooperation amid COVID 19 outbreak to enlist improvement in the quality of the content in the public interest.

The Meeting also stressed the need to present the content in line with the latest challenges thrown away by overall on-going fast changes in the media scenario in the country and across the world.

The meeting enjoined upon the participating representatives to focus on strengthening public morale highlighting positive aspects related to normal life & government’s developmental initiatives in the current COVID 19 situation.   

Chairing the webinar meeting of IMPCC, after a break of about 5 months due to COVID 19 pandemic, at Press Information Bureau, Chandigarh today, Additional Director General (Region) PIB North Western Region (NWR) Chandigarh, Smt Devpreet Singh said that all media units of the government need to ensure that the contents of news and other government related communications should cater to the needs of the target audience in current challenging situation due to COVID 19 outbreak.

Over a dozen representatives from various central and state government departments besides media units, participated in the meeting. The meeting is convened to provide a platform to all the stakeholders including media units, implementing and executing agencies as well as departments to highlight their activities.

Smt Singh said that there is a need to focus on strengthening public morale while highlighting positive aspects of normal life following Unlock 2 phase amid COVID 19 situation.

She added that government’s developmental initiatives and pro-people policies need to be taken to the common people while utilizing all the media tools available including social media handles while braving COVID 19 outbreak.

Smt Singh called upon all media units to mount stories and programmes on plasma donation, recovery rate of COVID patients and government initiatives in ensuring public safety, welfare & happiness.

The Meeting endorsed that more and more positive and development related news should be given its due share and efforts should be made to provide it proper space in the programmes of all the media units.

The Chairperson IMPCC stated that the purpose of holding IMPCC meeting is not limited to maintaining the Inter Media Group relations but also to understand functional difficulties of different media organizations and finding a solution to the problems confronting them. She urged all participants to maintain coordination and complement each other in coping up with the day to day challenging COVID situation 

She informed the meeting that several schemes and initiatives launched by the central government in the recent past have shown very positive and encouraging response and there is a need to bring forward positive stories. She said that it is awfully important to portray such developments in a manner that the positives of the schemes reach to the common man at the ground level and maximum number of citizens benefit from them.

Dr Padam Singh Negi, Deputy Director, Health & Family Welfare talked about the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) initiatives under his department during past about 05 months amid COVID 19 outbreak. He appreciated role of PIB, AIR, DDK and other departments in highlighting health and related issues amid COVID 19 situation.

Shri Pritam Singh, Deputy Director (News) & Head of RNU, DDK Shimla briefly talked about RNU, DDK’s role.

Smt Nandini Mital, Assistant Director (News), RNU DDK Shimla highlighted the role and contribution of RNU, DDK Shimla during past around 05 months amid COVID 19 situation. She briefed about various news stories and special programmes aired on both at local as well as national level through DD news network as well as through social media handles of DD News network.

Shri Ritesh Kapoor, Assistant Director (News) & Head of RNU, AIR Shimla explained AIR’s activities at the Regional News Unit of AIR Shimla highlighting AIR’s practical work at local as well as national level.

Ms Dhara Saraswati, Programme Head, DDK Shimla briefed the meeting about activities related to mounting of general and special programmes during last about 05 months amid COVID 19 outbreak. She highlighted the programmes mounted by DDk Shimla related to awareness about COVID 19, precautionary measures and government guidelines to ensure peoples’ safety as well as resumption of normal life of people across Himachal Pradesh.

Programme Head, AIR Shimla Shri Umesh Kashyap also participated in the meeting.

PEX Coordination, AIR Shimla Shri Anil Verma highlighted activities of programmes wing of AIR Shimla. He briefed about various programmes related to COVID 19 alongwith public interest messages and programmes on precautionary measures besides developmental programmes and initiatives of the government for welfare of people.

Shri Dinesh Kumar, Joint Director, Directorate of Census Operations, Shimla highlighted activities and achievements under his Directorate amid COVID 19 situation. He sought cooperation from media units to highlight programmes of Census Operations.

Shri Ajit Singh, PRO NABARD highlighted NABARD’s role and contribution during COVID 19 situation. He briefed the meeting about NABARD’s public welfare initiatives through SHGs in manufacture of masks, sanitizers, etc

Dr Joginder Kumar Yadav, Regional Director, IGNOU Shimla, complimented media units for ensuring publicity of OGNOU programmes during these difficult times that helped students and academia to get benefitted from the programmes of the Open University.

Shri Anil Dutt Sharma, Field Publicity Officer at Field Outreach Bureau (FOB) talked about FOB’s role and contribution towards dissemination of information

Shri Sameer Sharma, Agriculture Information Officer, Department of Agriculture, H.P. talked about harvesting, labour, state & centrally sponsored programmes during COVID situation and subsequent initiatives in Unlock 1 & 2.

Shri Himanshu Pathak, Assistant Director (M&C), PIB Shimla conducted the proceedings from Chandigarh.

Shri Tariq A. Rather, Deputy Director (M&C), PIB Shimla presented vote of thanks.