TURA, Sept 8 : Journalists from various media houses who were covering the three-day budget session of the GHADC found themselves on the outer side of the house door when they arrived on Wednesday morning.
Citing lack of permission, reporters and camera crews were denied entry resulting in an angry protest from the media groups who accused the district council authorities of changing rules at the eleventh hour and without notifying the media.
“We had covered the last two days of the session and there was no problem. Suddenly today we were barred from entry and asked to show the permission order. This wouldn’t have happened if they had informed us at the beginning itself,” complained scribes outside the session hall.
However, Chairman of the GHADC Rakesh A Sangma has clarified that a new rule has been put in place that restricts public from carrying mobile phones in the people’s gallery above the hall and the need for press reporters to identify themselves and obtain necessary permission from the Chairman’s office.
“We have come up with a new rule that requires permission for anyone covering the session because in the past unruly scenes that took place during debates have been misused and spread via social media depicting the house in poor light,” mentions Chairman Rakesh A Sangma when The Shillong Times contacted him over the issue.
He cites an incident of the previous house when the then Congress MDC from Asanang, Ismail Marak, broke the house decorum by allegedly banging the tables and using unparliamentary language during a no-confidence motion between the then NPP EC of Dipul Marak and the opposition Congress.
“No media person will be barred from entry. All they have to do is just apply for permission and it shall be granted. There is nothing hidden in this order. We have created such a protocol because this is an elected house and crucial bills and issues are discussed. Nobody wants sensitive matters in discussion to be misused in social media by vested interest groups and individuals,” clarifies Chairman Rakesh Sangma.
He also pointed out that similar rules are in place for sessions in the state legislature and also the Indian Parliament.
Meanwhile, visitors keen to witness future house sessions from the public gallery will henceforth be required to surrender their phones before entry as part of the new rules put in place in the GHADC.