Srinagar, Sep 17: The Jammu and Kashmir government does not have any journalist welfare scheme currently in force, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) has stated in response to an RTI application.

The disclosure was made in a nine-page reply issued by the Public Information Officer, DIPR, to an RTI application filed by Dr Shozena Amin. The application sought information on the government’s media policy, advertising expenditure, empanelment of media organisations and welfare measures for journalists.

Asked to provide details of welfare schemes or policies available to journalists and media persons in Jammu and Kashmir, the department stated, “No welfare scheme is in vogue for Journalists in J&K.”

The response also states that the Media Policy-2020 remains applicable in Jammu and Kashmir. The policy governs government advertising and the empanelment of media organisations and was approved by the Administrative Council on April 29, 2020. It was subsequently notified through Government Order No. 05-JK(ID) of 2020 dated May 15, 2020.

The department said the policy was initially approved for a period of five years, with a provision for review before the expiry of the period if required. On whether the policy had been amended, replaced, extended or renewed, DIPR stated that its revision, amendment or modification was “under process in the Administrative Department.”

The RTI application also sought year-wise and organisation-wise details of government expenditure on advertisements released to print, television, radio and digital media during the preceding five financial years.

DIPR, however, did not provide the expenditure figures in a consolidated format. It stated that the relevant bills, ledgers and other financial records constituted a “voluminous mass of decentralized operational records” and that compiling them would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority under Section 7(9) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The department instead offered the applicant an opportunity to inspect the relevant original files, registers and financial ledgers at the DIPR office on a working day and obtain extracts or copies as permitted under the RTI Act.

A similar response was given to queries seeking expenditure details related to television advertising, including spending on local J&K channels and national television channels.

Regarding advertising and media-buying agencies, DIPR stated that professional agencies, designers and printers are engaged through empanelment or open and limited tenders in accordance with the General Financial Rules, 2017. It again cited the volume and decentralised nature of the records while responding to requests for detailed year-wise and agency-wise expenditure and contract information.

The department also outlined the mechanisms used to verify government advertisements before payments are released. For television advertisements, it said telecast certificates, transmission logs, proof-of-play reports, recordings or other documentary evidence are obtained.

For newspapers, copies of published advertisements are required to be submitted to DIPR before 10 AM on the day of publication. Television, radio and digital media organisations are required to submit supporting bills along with relevant broadcast or telecast records.

The RTI response thus provides details of the existing framework governing government advertising and media empanelment, while confirming that no journalist welfare scheme is currently in force in Jammu and Kashmir.

It also states that the Media Policy-2020 is undergoing revision, while detailed five-year advertising expenditure data was not provided in consolidated form and remains available for inspection through the department’s records.