SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong has assured to release at least 50 per cent of the pending advertisement bills to all media houses in the state.
Tynsong gave the assurance during his meeting with a delegation of Meghalaya Editors’ and Publishers’ Association (MEPA) at his office chamber in the Main Secretariat on Friday.
He also said that the advertisement bills will be paid within this financial year so as to mitigate the hardships faced by media houses due to non-payment of advertisement bills amounting to crores of rupees and which are pending in various government departments for many years.
He also assured to include newsprint as an essential item so that printing presses in Meghalaya could lift these from Assam. “As it is today, media houses are facing difficulty in procuring newsprint from Assam due to the ongoing lockdown in the country,” the deputy chief minister said.
Tynsong also spoke with Chief Secretary MS Rao and directed him to see that 50 per cent payment of all pending advertisement bills are made at the earliest and also provide all logistical help for procurement of newsprint from Assam.