Manipur media houses lift boycott on government-related news

After 10 days, Manipur media houses lifted boycott imposed on all government-related news.
Media houses had boycotted government-related news to register a strong resentment over the failure to clear pending advertisement bills running into over Rs 10 crores, despite repeated assurance from the chief minister as well as chief secretary.
The media houses launched boycott stirs under the joint initiatives of the publishers, Editors’ Guild Manipur (EGM), All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) and Manipur Hill Journalist Union (MHJU).
They started the boycott from April 24 last and continued till today without a visible solution in sight. In addition, the media houses had also refrained from publishing all government advertisements, including those of its authorities, corporations under the state government.
The joint meeting was convened after a delegation of the media bodies held a meeting with the state information and public relation (IPR) minister Dr Sapam Ranjan Singh today where it was decided to lift the boycott.
In the meeting, the IPR minister sought more time to clear pending government advertisement bills while informing that some departments, including the health department which he is the in-charge of, he had already processed for clearing the pending bills..
The media bodies had suspended an earlier boycott call following the personal intervention of the chief minister and the chief secretary just before the state election.
The boycott had, however, exempted the offices of the Governor, the Speaker, Covid-19, and pandemic-related news including medical emergencies, and crime-related stories.
Initially, the Manipur BJP unit and Manipur Congress were also included in the boycott for allegedly not clearing bills amounting to several lakhs for advertisements made in connection with the recently concluded state Assembly election. Later, the boycott was lifted on the political parties after assurances to clear the pending bills.