Information law soon: PM

NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (PTI) — The government is working on a right to information law to make information more accessible to the people, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said today.

“Once this law is in position, media will stand to gain tremendously in its efforts to keep the people informed,” Mr Vajpayee said while inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebrations of the prominent northeastern daily Assam Tribune here.

While the duty of the media was to take information to the people, “it is also necessary that this duty should be fulfilled with absolute scrupulousness, without fear or favour,” he said.

“My government appreciates the fact that due to existing laws, access to official information is often difficult, if not impossible. Often this results in the dissemination of misinformation or even disinformation,” he said, adding that “we are working on a right to information law in order to make information more accessible to the people”.

Stating that India’s national media would be incomplete “without what is described as the regional press”, Mr Vajpayee said: “Their contribution, both as vehicles of information and instruments of change, is no less, if not more, than that of the so-called national Press”.

Recalling the role played by newspapers like Assam Tribune, the Prime Minister said whenever India faced a challenge to her sovereignty and territorial integrity, “this paper has played a frontline role in mobilising opinion and boosting public morale.

“This was most evident during the 1962 Chinese aggression and more recently during this summer’s Kargil conflict,” Mr Vajpayee said.

“During the dark days of Emergency when every effort was made to curb freedom of expression and impose severe restrictions on media, many a newspaper chose to crawl when asked to bend,” he said, adding that Assam Tribune “steadfastly and fiercely protected its integrity and independence”.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley commended the newspaper for carrying out campaigns on regional development and other issues relating to the North East.

Viren Shah sworn in amid fanfare
From Subhrangshu Gupta

CALCUTTA, Dec 4 — Mr Viren Shah, an industrialist-turned politician was sworn in today as Governor of West Bengal in the presence of a galaxy of luminaries that included the country's corporate barons, politicians, gubernatorial personnel, bureaucrats and other dignitaries. Mr Shah was administered the oath of office in Bengali as desired by him.

Never before had Calcutta Raj Bhavan been so spruced up for any such occasion. Nor was there so much of gala-getting, grandeur and fanfare. Today's function was really one with a difference.

Though it was an official programme of the Left Front government, some time it looked a BJP function or a CII sponsored corporate get together. The political personnel present among others were Pramod Mahajan, Ms Vasundhara Raje Scindia. Tapan Sikhdar, all from BJP, Ms Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Mr Ajit Kumar Panja of Trinamul Congress.

A notable absentee was the Railway Minister, who once opposed Mr Shah's appointment.

From business barons, there were Birlas, Abanis, Bajajs, Mittals, Kothaks and Bharatias AII were specially invited by the industrialist turned-politician. The invitee-list also included George Fernandes, Ram Naik, Sunderlal Patwa and other BJP top-brasses. But they had cancelled their visit at the last moment for some urgent engagements.

Mr Shah was very much cordial to all present particularly, the Press. He met them as he moved from one place to another of Durban Hall, where after the swearing-in ceremony everyone assembled. Mr Shah answered almost all the queries that newsmen put.