INS delegation meets Vajpayee

MUMBAI, May 9: The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has asked Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to take all necessary steps to protect the interests of the newspaper industry in the country. A high-level delegation led by its president Vijay Darda (Lokmat) called on Vajpayee in the Capital on Wednesday and drew his attention to major issues and problems facing the industry, particularly the 10 per cent customs duty, anti-dumping duty on import of newsprint, high duties on printing machinery and spare parts, and acceptance of the card rates of the newspapers by DAVP for government advertisements. The delegation included vice-president Shobha Subrahmanyan (Ananda Bazar Patrika), honorary treasurer Ramesh Chandra (The Times of India), N Murali (The Hindu), Mahendra Mohan Gupta (Dainik Jagran), Vishwa Bandhu Gupta (Daily Tej), Paresh Nath (Woman’s Era), Sunil Dang (Day After) and secretary general of INS P K Lahiri.

The delegation told Vajpayee that the industrywas going through a slump because of fall in advertisement volume and increasing costs and pressed for relief in the various levies the newspaper industry was being burdened with. They reasoned that economic liberalisation had touched almost all other industry sectors, but the newspaper industry has been left out.

The delegation also called on Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on the same day and submitted a pre-budget memorandum highlighting major issues confronting the newspaper industry.