Rane to head committee on law for protection of journalists

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Government today announced a six-member cabinet sub-committee to look into the demand of a separate law to prevent attacks on journalists. It will be headed by Industries Minister Narayan Rane.

The decision to set up the sub-committee for reviewing the draft of the proposed bill had been announced in the last cabinet meeting.

Talking to reporters today, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said the committee will include Home MInister R R Patil, Co-operation Minister Harshvardhan Patil, Medical education Minister Vijay Kumar Gavit, Public Works minister Jaidutt Kshirsagar and Animal Husbandary minister Nitin Raut.

The committee will review the existing draft bill and consider how artistes, writers and professionals from other fields of creative expression can be included in the bill, he said.

Similarly, it will make recommendations on having a redressal forum for complaints against journalists, on the lines of Press Council.

The recommendations will be submitted during the monsoon Session of the state legislature.

The demand for having a seperate law to protect journalists was revived vociferously after the murder of senior journalist J Dey here on June 11.

Chavan said the cabinet today also complimented the Mumbai crime branch and the Home department for successfully cracking the Dey murder case and nabbing seven culprits.