By Our Correspondent

Guwahati: Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) expresses concern over the recent directive from the Union information & broadcasting  ministry to take Hindi news channel ‘NDTV India’ off air for 24 hours with effect from 01 hours on 9 November  till 01 hrs of 10 November 2016.

The directive came after an inter-ministerial committee set-up by the I&B ministry found the news channel violating the programme code set under the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2015. According to the committee’s observation, the NDTV India in a live telecast had revealed  the crucial and strategically sensitive information when the terror attack on the Pathankot air base was being carried out.

The JFA argues that the news channels of the country should be brought under the purview of Press Council of India (PCI) with more power to the quasi-judicial body to deal with such situations. In need, the council can be named as Media Council of India (MCI), said the JFA in a statement issued to the media outlets.

We also demand appropriate initiatives for the news channel employees for their due benefits in the line of Majithia Wage Board meant for the print media employees including the journalists,” said JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria