Ramban, 16 August: J&K administration has taken cognizance of the mushrooming growth of illegal & unregistered portal- based news organisations operating through social media.
Acting on the grievances of the general public and public servants the District Magistrate Ramban Mussarat Islam ordered the SSP Ramban Mohita Sharma to implement the ban order with immediate effect in the district, today.
The district information officer earlier also asked these media portals to provide accreditation and relevant details of their media organizations along with that also asked these media portals to verify and submit the bonafide authority letter, identity cards, registration card for which they were given sufficient amount of time to produce all the documents in the district information office failing which today after further scrutiny they are going to be banned in the district to maintain the peace as terror activities has been witnessed in the region just recently by the local police.
The order further reads that these media outlets which includes “United Urdu News”-Latief Raza, “VD News”-Charanjeet Bali, Mubashir Nazir-“News verse India”, Zulfqar Bhat- “Current News of India”, Sajad Runyal-“News Bureau of India”, Parveez Bhat- “Today News Line” and “GHRT News”, Sangaldan (Credentials not known) all residents of Ramban were peddling fake news in the district which become necessary for the local administration to put a halt on their activity.
“Now, therefore, in view of the likelihood of breach of peace and in order to maintain law-and-order, public tranquility and for safety and security of the general public, I, Mussarat Islam, JKAS, District Magistrate, Ramban, in exercise of powers vested in me under section 144 Cr.P.C, do hereby impose ban on the operations of the so-called aforementioned news portals within the territorial jurisdiction of District Ramban with immediate effect. Any person associated with above fake news portal shall be immediately booked under the extant rules governing subject, if found operating in the district and peddling fake news”  the DM Ramban order reads.
While the DM has advised District information officer Ramban to be vigilant of any other fake news portals operating in the region so that they can be restrained and banned after their examination by the communication office.
Aman Zutshi
