At a State-level workshop held here, various speakers highlighted the significance of transmitting information to the villagers about the schemes and projects launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to uplift the rural poor who had been reeling in the mire of poverty for many decades.
The workshop was held at Munish Resorts under the auspices of Public Information Bureau (PIB) with the view to disseminating knowledge and information to the grass-root level media in the far-flung rural areas across the country.
Hemant Kumar Chauhan, Assistant Director, PIB Chandigarh, said it was paramount to develop a setup and system for conveying accurate and usable information to the farmers in the remotest areas.
During the technical session, the main thrust was to streamline the flow of information to the local media, both print and electronic, vividly spelling out the policies and programme of the new Government for ushering in a new era of prosperity for the poorest of the poor.
Responding to a question on demonetization, DGM, KB Singh of Punjab National Bank and in-charge of this region, said the decision of demonetization was a step in the right direction to fight the scourge of the black money notwithstanding the fact that some genuine persons had also to undergo hardships.
Dr Anurag of Centeral University, dwelt at length over the changing weather, global warming, melting of glaciers and the disturbance with nature by building big dams in the fragile Himalayas which had already started showing adverse effects in Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand.
He also distinguished between natural hazards and natural disasters. National hazards are unavoidable, but national disasters can be managed as has been done in Japan where earthquakes were very common, he said.
He lamented that India is lagging far behind in facing disasters despite suffering huge loss of life and property in floods in different parts of the country.
Senior journalist Birbal Sharma recalled how tough it was to be a reporter four decades ago when news item were sent through the outmoded telegraph system in the absence of fax and internet.
He, however, lamented that even the media at present had been usurped by the business houses who watch their personal interest more than public interest. Journalists are still a pitiable lot at the mercy of big business houses who merely exploit them, said Sharma.