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State of Odisha - Act

The Orissa Press Representatives' Accreditation Rules, 1966

ODISHA
India

The Orissa Press Representatives' Accreditation Rules, 1966

Rule THE-ORISSA-PRESS-REPRESENTATIVES-ACCREDITATION-RULES-1966 of 1966

Published on 1 January 1966
Commenced on 1 January 1966
[This is the version of this document from 1 January 1966.]
[Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]

The Orissa Press Representatives' Accreditation Rules, 1966Published vide Notification Orissa Gazette Extraordinary No. 360/15.5.1974

1. Short title and commencement.

- These rules shall be called the Orissa Press Representatives' Accreditation Rules, 1966.

2.

These rules will come into force from the date of their notification in the Official Gazette and, on such notification, will supersede the rules already in force.

3. Definitions.

- In these rules, following words have the meanings mentioned against, them unless a different intention appears from the subject or context-

(a)"Government" means the Government of Orissa;

(b)"Director" means the Director of Public Relations and Tourism (hereafter referred to as Director of Public Relations, Government of Orissa);

(c)"Press representative" means the correspondent, photographer, cine-cameraman or cartoonist representing any newspaper, news-agency, feature-agency, news photo agency, broadcasting or television Concern;

(d)"State Press Accreditation Committee", subsequently referred to in these rules as a Committee, means a Committee constituted by the Government to advise the Government in respect of accrediting Press representatives working at Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, District Headquarters and Sub-divisional Headquarters;

(e)"Editor" means the person who is declared as the Editor under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867;

(f)"Newspaper" means the daily and periodical publication containing public news and comments on public news.

4. Application of rules.

- These rules apply to the accreditation to the Government of Orissa at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for State-level accreditation of Press representatives and also at District and Sub-divisional Headquarters in case of accreditation at District and Sub-divisional levels.

5. Press Accreditation Committee.

- The State Press Accreditation Committee shall be constituted of six members.

6.

Half of the members will be the nominees of the All-India Newspaper Editors' Conference and the other half will be the nominees of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists. The Committee will choose its own Chairman. The Director of Public Relations shall be that ex-officio convenor of the Committee without voting rights. The Chairman of the Committee shall be elected by the members of the Committee from amongst themselves at each meeting of the Committee; and shall continue as such until the next meeting. The office shall be held by the A.I.N.E.C. and I.F.W.J., representatives of the Committee by rotation.

7.

The normal term of the Accreditation Committee shall be two years on the expiry of which a new Committee shall be constituted.

8.

The Committee shall meet, as a general rule, once every three months.

9.

Three members shall form a quorum for a meeting.

10.

Seven clear days' notice shall be given for convening a meeting of the Committee. But emergent meetings can however be held after giving a 48 hours' notice.

11.

The names of persons submitting applications together with such other details as may be available, and particulars of proposals for accreditation, if any, shall be circulated to the members along with the notice of the meeting. In addition the Committee may consider any other application for accreditation about which proper intimation could not be given in time.

12. Application for accreditation.

- An application for accreditation in the form prescribed by Government in consultation with the Accreditation Committee shall be submitted by the Editor of a newspaper, the Editor or the Manager of a news-agency in respect of the correspondent, photographer, cine-cameraman or cartoonist representing any newspaper, news agency, feature-agency, News photo-agency, broadcasting concern or television to be accredited to the Director. Each application shall be accompanied by the Press representatives' photograph of passport size in duplicate. The Director shall refer the application to the Committee for advice.

13. Conditions for accreditation.

- The following conditions shall be fulfilled by a press representative before he can be accredited to the Government :

(a)His residence shall be at the headquarters of the Government or at Cuttack during the period of accreditation. The residence shall be at the respective District/Sub-divisional Headquarters in respect of District and Sub-division level accreditation.

(b)He shall be a working journalist as defined in the Working Journalists (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1955, and employed whole-time as a correspondent, for State-level accreditation.

(c)For accreditation to the Government, he shall possess at least three years' experience as a Working journalist.

(d)If he is a correspondent of a newspaper, the following factors in respect of the newspaper shall be taken into consideration before granting accreditation :

(i)Nature and type of the newspaper;

(ii)Periodicity and regularity of publication of the newspaper;

(iii)Circulation and professional standing of the newspaper;

(iv)Content study of the paper to justify day-to-day contact with official news sources and day-to-day collection of news;

(e)If the correspondent belongs to a news or feature agency, the following factors shall be taken into consideration before granting accreditation:

(i)Nature and type of the agency;

(ii)Professional standing of the agency;

(iii)Method of distribution of the services of the agency;

(iv)Centres of the newspapers catered for

(f)In the case of a press photographer, the factors to be taken into consideration to determine accreditation are-

(i)Professional standing of the newspaper, periodical or photo-agency he represents;

(ii)He is being a Professional press photographer; and

(iii)The frequency and number of photographs published and the space devoted for the same.

14. Number of correspondents to be accredited.

- (i) The total number of correspondents to be accreditated at different places has to be kept within a certain limit which may be determined from year to year or periodically by the Government taking into account (a) the limitations of the Press Information Service of the Government, (b) the capacity to provide necessary facilities for accredited correspondents, and (c) importance of the place of reporting for the paper/agency.

(ii)In determining accreditation of correspondents for a news-paper/news-agency, the character and volume of coverage required will be taken into account.

(iii)For granting accreditation in case of weeklies and fortnightlies, the main criterion should be content study of the paper. In other words, the material published in the paper should justify the necessity for its correspondent's day-to-day collection of news from official sources and day-to day contact with such sources.

(iv)State-level accreditation will be granted to a maximum of two correspondents, one each at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and one photographer in case of the dailies published in Orissa and news-agencies having offices at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Newspapers other than local dailies will be entitled to accreditation of only one correspondent and a photographer. At other levels not more than one correspondent will be accredited for one paper/agency.

(v)Not more than one accredited correspondent and one accredited photographer of a newspaper/news-agency should claim facilities to attend one function.

15. Effect of accreditation.

- Accreditation does not confer any official status on a correspondent. Government merely recognises that the accredited correspondent represents the newspaper or news agency which employs him. Correspondents should not state this in letter-heads and visiting cards.

16. Accreditation is personal.

- Accreditation is personal and not transferable.

17. Accreditation card for press representatives.

- Accreditation card bearing a passport size photograph of the press representative will be issued to an accredited representative. The accreditation card will normally be utilised for attending Press Conference convened by the Government, or any authorised Government Officer and for entry into Government offices subject to special rules and procedures prevailing at such places for admission or entry. The accreditation cards shall not be admissible for attending special, functions or conferences for which admission is regulated by special invitation cards and security passes.

18. List of accredited press representatives.

- The Director shall maintain a list of accredited correspondents, photographers or cartoonists representing any newspaper or news-agency or feature agency, news photo-agency, a broadcasting concern or television.

19. Review of the list of accredited press representatives.

- The list of accredited representatives will be reviewed periodically by the Committee, ordinarily once in every six months, or at the request of any member of the Committee or the Director of Public Relations.

20. Renewal of accreditation.

- Accreditation already granted may be renewed from year to year by the Director of Public Relations on a request from the editor/the manager/the correspondent; photographer/cartoonist representing any newspaper/news-agency/feature agency/news photo-agency/broadcasting concern/television without any other formalities. Application for such renewal or termination of accreditation shall be made in time by the aforesaid party.

21. Accreditation in emergent cases.

- In emergent cases, Government will be free to take any action warranted by the circumstances in matters relating to accreditation and disaccreditation.

22. Withdrawal of accreditation of press representatives.

- A correspondent will be liable to disaccreditation if-

(a)he uses information and facilities accorded to him for non-journalistic purposes;

(b)in the course of his duties as correspondent, he behaves in an undignified or unprofessional manner;

(c)he ignores or violates the conditions on which information and facilities are provided by, Government or acts contrary to any provisions of these rules;

(d)he gives information/news that he knows to be false, baseless or incorrect, in so far as Government are concerned : Provided that in case the newspaper/news-agency itself is responsible for such wilful publication of false, mala fide, baseless or incorrect report, it will be liable to disaccreditation;

(e)Action under Rule 22 will be taken by the Director of Public Relations on the advice of the Committee after the matter has been reported in writing to the Editor or Manager and the correspondent concerned Oi the news-agency, feature agency, news photo-agency, broadcasting concern or television and after both of them have been given a reasonable opportunity to be heard by the Committee.

23. Termination or cancellation of accreditation of a press representative.

- When in accredited correspondent, photographer or cartoonist ceases to represent a newspaper, a news-agency, a feature agency, a photo-agency, a broadcasting concern or television on behalf of which he is accredited, the fact shall be brought to the notice of the Director of Public Relations, in writing by the correspondent, or by the Editor, or the Manager concerned within fifteen days. Failing this, the matter may be reported to the Committee by the Director for necessary action.

24.

In an emergency and circumstances warranting, the Government will be free to take action to accredit or disaccredit a correspondent. Any action taken under this provision shall be reported to the Accreditation Committee at its next meeting, which shall have power to review it either on its own accord or on an appeal by the concerned newspaper/news-agency or correspondent affected by dissacreditation.

25.

When newspaper of a news-agency ceases publication and functioning, the accreditation granted by the State Government to the correspondent or correspondents of the concerned newspaper or news agency will be treated as cancelled automatically.

26.

When an Editor of a newspaper or news-agency desires for cancellation of accreditation granted to his correspondent or correspondents, he should apply to the Director of Public Relations for cancellation of the accreditation.

27. Continuous absence from the headquarters.

- An accredited correspondent, who is continuously absent for three months from the Headquarters, shall forfeit his accreditation. This period may be extended by three months more by the Director of Public Relations on a written request from the Editor or the Manager concerned.

28. Representation against decision.

- Newspapers, agencies and correspondents can make a representation to the State Government against any decision taken under the provisions of these rules. Such representation should reach the Secretary to Government, Home (P.R.) Department within two calendar months from the date on which the decision in question was communicated to the newspapers, agencies, and correspondents concerned.

29. Accreditation of correspondents at District and Sub-divisional headquarters.

- Subject to the relevant provisions made in the foregoing rules, the following rules shall be applicable in respect of accreditation of correspondents at Districts and Sub-divisional levels :

(i)Daily newspapers and news-agencies, weeklies and fortnightlies published from Orissa and Oriya dailies, weeklies and fortnightlies published outside Orissa will be entitled to accreditation at Districts and Sub-divisional levels subject to the other conditions prescribed in the rules.

(ii)An application for accreditation should be submitted in the manner prescribed in Rule 12 above through the District Magistrate concerned.

(iii)The District Magistrate shall forward these applications after proper verification and with his recommendations to the Director of Public Relations who shall place the case for consideration of the Committee at its next meeting.

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