Digboi: Nearly a year after the Digboi Co-District Commissioner’s office began functioning at Tingrai, the new administrative setup continues without a designated official or dedicated mechanism for media coordination, leaving journalists with limited access to official information and responses on matters of public interest.
The absence of a clearly identified media liaison has created uncertainty over who is responsible for coordinating with the media in the Co-District. The issue has become more pronounced following changes to the communication arrangements that existed before the Co-District was created.
Earlier, media affairs in Digboi were coordinated, among others, through the Margherita Sub-Divisional Public Relations Officer, while the Tinsukia district Information and Public Relations machinery provided another established channel for official communication.
That arrangement now appears to have weakened. Journalists associated with various press clubs in Digboi are reportedly neither being routinely contacted by the Margherita administration nor receiving the earlier level of communication from the Tinsukia district publicity machinery.
Direct access to the Co-District administration for official clarifications and responses has also reportedly remained difficult.
The absence of a designated official is significant as media communication is an important channel through which the administration provides verified information on development works, administrative decisions, public grievances, welfare schemes, law-and-order issues and emergencies.
The current arrangement has left journalists facing an unclear chain of responsibility: the earlier channel through Margherita has weakened, communication from the Tinsukia district machinery is reportedly inconsistent, and the Co-District office has no clearly identified media liaison.
The situation also raises questions about administrative coordination within the district. Nearly a year into the functioning of the Co-District, a basic mechanism for media coordination remains undefined.
The local media fraternity is seeking clarity from the competent authorities on who should serve as the authorised point of contact for journalists covering the Digboi Co-District.
The authorities also need to clarify whether the Margherita PRO continues to cover Digboi, whether the Tinsukia district Information and Public Relations machinery retains responsibility, or whether the Co-District administration itself is expected to handle media affairs.
What is required is a clearly designated and accessible official channel through which journalists can obtain verified information and the administration can communicate with the public.