The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has appreciated the efforts of Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani for his government’s support to the print media during this difficult phase.
Lauding the efforts of the print media, Rupani said newspapers were the biggest and best source of true, accurate and credible information, besides keeping people away from fake news and presenting the true picture.
He has assured that his government would support the print media in this hour of need by clearing all pending payments owed towards government advertisements published till April 2020. Welcoming the move, the INS said it would provide much-needed respite to the print media industry, which lost nearly Rs 4,500 crore during March and April.
We look forward to a similar approach from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as over the past few weeks the INS has requested the Union government for a stimulus package and sought support of all state governments, PSUs as well as the central government to take immediate steps to release the dues payable up to April 2020 towards government advertisements to print media/advertising agencies. This will go a long way in supporting and alleviating the woes of the industry,” said the INS in a press release.
The newspaper industry directly and indirectly gives employment to 30 lakh people. “However, against all odds and in spite of the increasing costs with no returns, all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the newspaper reaches its readers every morning in every nook and corner of the country,” the release said.