Jaswant wants a new, proactive media cell

Either he is is missing his old XP Division, or he simply feels the need for a professionally-managed media cell to get his views across. Wh...

Either he is is missing his old XP Division, or he simply feels the need for a professionally-managed media cell to get his views across. Whatever the reasons, Finance Minister Jaswant Singh wants a new media cell — preferablly more pro-active — to highlight his ministry’s ‘‘path-breaking’’ acheivements.

Sources said that Jaswant informally communicated his wishes to Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and wants a strong media cell, stacked with men of his choice. ‘‘The officers have to be more proactive in highlighting the government’s acheivements through every possible channel,’’ sources said.

The IIS officers are currently posted as officers on deputation in various ministries, largely because of their expertise in communication. But there are ministries like External Affairs that has its own XP division manned by an officer of the Joint Secretary level in charge of publicity.

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Even the Prasar Bharati Corporation has expressed its willingness to pick its own men to manage DD and AIR, as opposed to getting work done through IIS officers.

The Finance Minister’s wish is only the begining of the marginalisation of the cadre. Though officials in the Finance Ministry denied there was a move to dislodge IIS officials, there are sufficient reasons to believe otherwise.

In the past few months, IIS officers have been asked to improve their English, and react with more spunk in publicising government policies through proper channels. While the Prime Minister’s man Sudheendra Kulkarni was sent in to put the gloss back on the IIS, as he went about teaching them to write good English and proper news reports, Jaswant’s wish has sent the officers in a complete tizzy. Prasad, it is learnt, will meet the IIS officers on March 13, even as a cadre review is underway.

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