DC pays surprise visit to media monitoring cell

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 19

Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma today paid a surprise visit to the media certification and monitoring cell (MCMC) constituted at the District Administrative Complex to review its working.

The DC had a detailed interaction with the staff for keeping a strict vigil on paid news in print and the electronic media. He enquired from the staff about the duty being performed by them to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

The DC said the MCMC members have been entrusted with an important task by the administration to ensure free and fair elections. He said that the Election Commission has issued strict directives for effective monitoring of advertisements, publicity of candidates and paid news.

In the wake of these directives, Sharma said the MCMC assumes a lot of significance as it was responsible for certification of advertisements, monitoring of news in print and the electronic media and keeping records of all election-related news of candidates in the fray besides monitoring if poll-related expenditure incurred by the candidates in the media were properly accounted for. The DC said it was an important task which must be carried forward diligently and in a professional manner.