The principal secretary and chief electoral officer Radha Raturi informed that an additional CEO committee has been formed regarding the certification of advertisements by all registered political parties with head quarter in the state, organisational groups and individuals in television channels, cable network and social media as per the provisions of the Election Commission of India. The committee is headed by the additional CEO SA Murugeshan with chief development officer of Dehradun, regional news head of Akashvani, Dehradun Sanjiv Sundariyal as members.
The official further informed that for certification of advertisements of political nature broadcast through the electronic media by political parties and candidates contesting the election, a separate state level five-member media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) was formed under the CEO with additional CEO SA Murugeshan, Information deputy director Nitin Upadhyay, Janmorcha editor Suman Gupta nominated by the Press Council of India and Doordarshan programme head in Dehradun Shailendra Kumar as members. This committee will be authorised to preside over hearing of appeals regarding media certification decisions of the additional CEO committee at the district and state level.
The committee will also be empowered to preside over decisions taken by the district level MCMC regarding instances of paid news. The State level MCMC itself too can take cognisane of instances of paid news and direct the returning officer to issue notices to the candidates concerned. Action by this committee regarding appeal related to media certification will be ascertained by the chief election officer, observer appointed by the commission and deputy director of information department along with the public relations department. All members will conduct hearing in cases related to purported paid news, added the official.