Port Blair, May 31: Preferential treatment by the UT administration in terms of release of government advertisements to the official mouthpiece i.e. The Daily Telegrams has been seriously eliminating the survival of the local media. Impartiality on the part of the departments of the UT administration has become their hallmark while dealing with the local media. The latest is by the Ayush Division of the Directorate of Health Services of the UT administration. While the Health department has been publishing advertisement of the ‘World Yoga Day’ to be held on 21st June 2019, in the official media on a regular basis, local private media has been deprived of the benefits. The local dailies are facing lot of financial problems in running their newspapers in the Islands. Though, some government advertisements in form of tenders/notices are being issued through the IP&T department, various division like AYUSH are completely denying the private dailies advertisements which they have been publishing in the government media i.e. The Daily Telegrams. Half page advertisement of World Yoga Day is being published in the official media since last one month to generate awareness about World Yoga Day. However, private local media have not been given the advertisement for publication. This is sheer double standard on the part of institutions like Ayush of the Health Department. While the official media has no dearth of fund at their disposal, private local media are passing through a tough time to run their show. At this juncture, it is sensible that the UT administration should come forward to extend their support by way of releasing such advertisements to private media as well. A great injustice is already being done to the local private media by allowing the official mouthpiece i.e. The Daily Telegrams to publish private advertisements. Since, DT being a government newspaper, it should be allowed to publish only government tenders, notice, and not private advertisements. Since DT is an old publication and consume bulk of the private advertisements, people prefer to publish their advertisements in the DT. However, it is the responsibility of the UT administration to provide a level playing field to other local private newspaper so that they can also survive. The UT administration should remove the protective cover it has provided to the DT so that private media can also flourish here.
In view of the above mention facts, it is requested that a level playing field may also be provided to the local private media by way of your directions to such organization to also release advertisements to private dailies. The support and help of the UT administration will be crucial for the survival of the private media here, in a release K Ganeshan, President, A&N Media Federation, Port Blair said.