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‘Prohibiting TV channels not within J&K govt’s purview’

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/22/2018 11:15:35 AM

SRINAGAR, Jul 21: The state government today distanced itself from banning of dozens of Islamic and Pakistani television channels in Kashmir.
In a statement an official spokesman said banning of such channels is not within the purview of J&K government but that of information and broadcasting ministry.
After the banning of the channels recently, the cable operators had threatened to suspend their operations completely if the order, issued by respective district magistrates, is not revoked.
The official spokesman said government today made it clear that the issue of permitting or not permitting telecast of any TV channel is not within the purview of the state government and the state has no role in it.
“The powers to permit or not permit telecast of any TV channel are vested with the ministry of information and broadcasting, government of India and not with the state government,” a spokesman of the state’s home department said while responding to the news reports emanating in a section of the media in this regard.
He said any TV channel operating within the ambit of the law should approach the union ministry of information and broadcasting to obtain the necessary permission. “If any TV channels feel that they do not promote any illegal activity, they are entitled to obtain necessary permission from the ministry of information and broadcasting,” he said adding that the circular instructions regarding non-permission of telecast of certain TV channels are not new.
“The decision in this regard was initially taken in May, 2017 and the original instructions to all district magistrates were issued on 06-05-2017 whereby the district magistrates were instructed to take this action against cable TV Operators transmitting non-permitted channels,” the spokesman said adding that the communication issued on 02-07-2018 is only a repetition and reiteration of the earlier instructions in this regard.
He said the home department issued a repeat circular on 02-07-2018 addressed to all district magistrates asking them to take action according to legal provisions wherever it is found that certain TV channels which are not permitted by the ministry of information and broadcasting, government of India are being transmitted. The communication has a list of such non-permitted TV channels annexed to it, he said.
The spokesman further clarified that the issue of permitted and non-permitted TV channels is not within the domain of the state government but entirely with the government of India. “These permissions are given by the ministry of information and Broadcasting according to provisions in law,” he said and added that the list of permitted TV channels is available on the website of the ministry of information and broadcasting.