Raipur. Patrakar Bhavan of Manendragarh Chainpur, run by Bharati Shramjeevi Patrakar Sangh (BSPS), was sealed by the district administration without prior notice. Regarding this matter, under the leadership of State President of Journalists Association, Chhattisgarh Unit, Nitin Choubey met Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Reena Baba Saheb Kangale. Informed the CEO about the entire matter and demanded opening of Patrakar Bhavan.
On this, CEO Kangale discussed with Manendragarh Collector Rahul Vekantesh over phone and directed to open Patrakar Bhawan. After this, Patrakar Bhawan of Manendragarh Chainpur has been opened. For this, Bharati Shramjeevi Journalists Association expressed gratitude to the CEO and the district administration.
The union urged the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that such action is not repeated in any press club or press building. If there is any complaint, the authorities should not reach any conclusion without knowing the journalists’ side. CEO Kangale has assured the organization in this matter also.
BSPS National General Secretary and State President Nitin Choubey said that this is the first time in the country that the district administration has taken action to seal any press club or journalist building without any prior notice. He has warned that Bharti Shramjeevi Patrakar Sangh will not tolerate the recurrence of such an incident anywhere in the state or the country. Last year, this building was allotted by the state government for journalists in Manendragarh Chainpur. Since then this building has developed as a center for journalists to study and write. Not only this, all political and social organizations have been organizing press conferences in this Patrakar Bhavan. Apart from press conferences, activities related to journalism are also being conducted by the district administration and government. In such a situation, the district administration sealing it without giving any reason and without the knowledge of the journalists is condemnable.
Choubey said that a clarification has come from the district administration that this action was taken by a political organization on the complaint of political activity being conducted in the building. He said that when the complaint was received, the District Collector should have known the side of the matter by giving a notice to the Office Secretary of Patrakar Bhawan, District President or by having an oral discussion. By not doing so in his haste, the Collector had hindered the work of the fourth pillar of journalism. There was a lot of anger among the journalists due to the sealing of Patrakar Bhavan without any reason. District officials of Bharati Shramjeevi Patrakar Sangh as well as journalists of Manendragarh area have protested against this and sat on strike in front of the building and celebrated today as Black Day.
During this, BSPS State General Secretary Gangesh Dwivedi, State Vice President Sukhnandan Banjare, State Joint Secretary Santosh Mahanand, Journalist Mohan Tiwari, Raipur District President Dilip Sahu, District Coordinator Tajin Naz, Chitra Patel, Pradeep Namdev, Prem Nirmalkar, Balram Patel, Ganesh Ram Nishad. State and district officials including Chhannu Lal Sinhar, Manoj Manikpuri were present.