On the flip side of things, the State Information Department, which is supposed to disseminate government achievements and facilitate the media, has become well- nigh non-functional this time. They generously provide food, snacks and tea to the journalists. But they are disinclined to provide them with the Budget copies.
Their officials disseminated budget highlights, which were compiled in five pages. However, the Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh’s Budget speech runs for 117 pages. They ignored the journalists who were sitting in the media gallery to collect copies. Till 2014 they distributed the budget speech in the media gallery. But this year, things have gone awry with the media persons remaining at the receiving end of the department’s apathy.
When The Pioneer enquired about a copy of the Budget speech one department official said they have kept the copies in a room close to the emergency entrance, given their weight. Indira Hridayesh read the budget speech while sitting. However, the pampered information department officials were reluctant to carry the load. When The Pioneer quizzed over phone they said they can collect the copy from Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday i.e. a day after the budget speech was delivered. They tend to forget the fact that the media persons come to Vidhan Sabha for collecting information and not to savour food and snacks.