The TRS Government is planning to release the information regarding the day to day affairs of the Chief Minister KCR and all others through a single source. There will be a central information system (CIS).
Earlier the CMs office through Press secretary was releasing the information pertaining to the Chief Minister in particular. All other Ministers had PROs on their own and they were trying to boost up the image of the Ministers by planting stories and sending points in the Whatsapp and also other sources.
The information department also sends some information to the media for the official functions of the ministers, but that reaches the media in the night during the 11nth hour.
So there is some lack of co-ordination between the CMs PR, Ministers PR and also the I and PR. From now on the Chief Minister KCR has decided to do away with separate sources of information and there is a plan to start a central information system where the news is vetted and all the media get the information through a single source.
This will be authentic and the media need not think twice for using it.
There are comments that the English copy from the CMO and other sources is also not up to the mark. The same was brought to the notice of the CM also.
The Chief Minister has decided to set up the central information cell with a professional agency which will edit the copy well and send the information after due consideration and clearance from the respective higher-ups.
As soon as the Ministers were announced there was a scramble for the PRO posts from the local media fraternity who were moving with the proposed ministers from the beginning.
Now the CMO will monitor the secretaries and also the information cell to be set up in the course of time. The process is on for selection sincere people with integrity and loyalty and who have put in good service in the media. They want the people to be well versed with English and also Telugu.
There is an opinion that the so-called PROs were building the personal image of the Ministers rather than giving the development news and building the image of the state and districts.
This might take some time it looks like. This will definitely strengthen the system further and will not give any scope to the pyravikars in the name of PROs and secretaries.
There will be day to day monitoring of the news sent and also the news published.
U.Srinivas
