INDIA: Mayor against banning media

Mysore mayor says he will discuss the ban at next Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission review meeting

The Times of India
Thursday, July 30, 2009

Mysore --- A day after the Mysore City Corporation debarred public and media from attending the JNNURM review meetings, mayor Purushothama took objection to the move.

Even the Mysore District Journalists Association condemned the MCC's action pointing to the Centre's guidelines on JNNURM which specifies that public partnership should be enlisted. The official machinery should understand that media is concerned about the city development projects, the association stated in a press release.

Mayor Purushothama, who also attends the review meetings, objected to the move and said he will raise the issue during the next review meeting on August 4. "This is unacceptable. The public and media should know what is happening so that the development projects are implemented transparently," he told The Times of India. The contention that the media is misleading public is wrong. It has reported objectively the deliberations at the meetings. It is incorrect to say that the media is misleading, he added.

Date Posted: 7/30/2009