Govt constituted panel for Media men accommodations, Saleem, Ashwani co-opted in Accreditation Committee

Jammu, Feb 12 (Only Kashmir): The Government has co-opted Ashwani Kumar, President, Press Club Jammu and Mohammad Saleem Pandit, President, Press Club Kashmir as the members of the State News Media Accreditation (SMAC). The Government also constituted a panel to review the issues regarding providing government accommodation to the media-persons in the State.
The Government has co-opted Ashwani Kumar, President, Press Club Jammu and Mohammad Saleem Pandit, President, Press Club Kashmir as the members of the State News Media Accreditation (SMAC) , constituted vide Govt Order No: 37-ID of 2016 dated: 07-12-2016.
The Government has also rechristened the State Press Accreditation Committee (SPAC) as State News Media Accreditation Committee (SNMAC).



The other members of the SNMAC include Bashir Manzar, Editor Kashmir Images; Shuja-ul-Haq, Bureau Chief, India Today TV; Taufiq Rashid, Bureau Chief, Hindustan Times; Manish Gupta, Resident Editor, Early Times; Vivek Sharma, Correspondent, State Times; Pradeep Dutta, Bureau Chief, Times Now; Tariq Lone, Video Journalist, Aaj Tak; Farooq Javaid Khan, Photojournalist, Rising Kashmir; Rajnesh Bakshi, Video Journalist, IBN7 and Channi Anand, Photo Journalist Associated Press.
The Director Information & Public Relations is the Member Secretary of the Accreditation Committee.
Meanwhile the Government has constituted a seven-member official panel to review the issues regarding providing government accommodation to the media-persons in the State.
According to a Government Order issued in this regard, the Committee will be headed by Administrative Secretary, Home Department. The members of the Committee include Additional Director General of Police, Security J&K, Additional Director General of Police, CID, J&K, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Administrative Secretary, Information Department and Director Estates. Director Information & PR will be the Member Secretary of the Committee.
According to the order, the Committee will consider regularization, continuation, cancellation and also scrutinize fresh requests by media-persons for allotment of government accommodation at Jammu and Srinagar against the quota of 1.5% out of 5% discretionary quota at the disposal of Minister Incharge Estates.



The Committee shall be serviced by the Estates Department and shall submit its recommendations to the government through Estates Department.
Pertinently, around 120 media-persons are presently in possession of the government accommodation at Jammu and Srinagar for official and residential purposes. (OK)