Bhubaneswar: Though COVID cases have dropped sharply in the State and all departments are functioning in full strength, the Lok Seva Bhavan or State Secretariat and Vidhan Sabha continue to remain out of bounds for media personnel.
While the entry of journalists is completely banned to the Lok Seva Bhavan, the scribes are allowed into Vidhan Sabha premises. However, they are barred from covering the proceedings of the hours, and have been asked to remain seated in the Legislative Assembly’s conference room.
Taking a strong dig at the State Government for restricting media’s access, senior Congress leader and Jatni MLA Suresh Routray said that media plays a key role in the progress of the State. “If the media is throttled, development will be hampered,” he said.
“We have been demanding persistently to give unrestricted access to journalists. They are the fourth pillar of democracy. Why will they loaf around outside, in this scorching summer to collect news. Sports, cultural and all activities have resumed. Why should the media not be allowed to do its work?,” said Routray.
BJP leader Mohan Majhi said that the ruling dispensation of Odisha is not taking media into confidence ‘for unknown reasons’. “The issues of the people of the State comes to the fore through media. Be it the Lok Seva Bhavan or the Legislative Assembly, media personnel are restricted into both of them for over two years now,” he said.
“Even the Central Government has eased a most number of COVID regulations. The State Government is not allowing media into the Lok Seva Bhavan or the Secretariat, because corruption will be exposed. Similarly, the Government is scared that people will come to know about its inefficiency highlighted by the opposition in the Legislative Assembly,” Majhi added.
