MUFP condemns Nabarangpur Collector’s conduct towards Samaj Reporter Banka Behari Bisoi

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 4: In an emergency meeting, the Media Unity for Freedom of Press (MUFP) condemned the shocking conduct of the Nabarangpur District Collector Ms. Roopa Mishra who not only misbehaved with fellow journalist Sri Banka Behari Bisoi, the Nabarangpur Correspondent of The Samaj but also issued threats to him.

Mr. Bisoi had gone to the Collectorate in his professional capacity as a Reporter to collect information on the district grievance cell. The details of the unsavoury incident which took place in presence of a number of senior district officials and members of the public have been published in The Samaj on 3rd January 2010.

The MUFP demands a RDC-level probe into the reported incident and calls upon the state government to ensure that its officers learn to behave and do not take the media or mediapersons for granted.

The least that the state government should do now is to order an inquiry into the matter and take punitive action against Ms. Mishra for her misconduct. We are all for a healthy relationship with the officials and employees of the state government but that must be based on mutual respect.

The meeting was held near the "Free Press Tree" infront of Soochana Bhavan, Bhuabneswar which was attended by Subhas Chandra Patnaik, Rabi Das, Prasanta Patnaik, Sampad Mohapatra, D.N. Singh, Prafulla Das, Vivekananda Das, Aswini Darji, Satyasunder Barik, Ranjan Kumar Ojha, Bhabani Parija and others.