National Media Centre inaugurated

The UPA government Saturday inaugurated the National Media Centre, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking the media to exercise caution to ensure that a "spirit of inquiry" does not "morph into a campaign of calumny".

Speaking at the inauguration of the state-of-the-art Rs.60 crore four-storeyed media centre with a glass facade in the heart of the national capital, the prime minister also said that a "witch-hunt" was not a "substitute for investigative journalism" and that "personal prejudices must not replace public good".

Congress president and ruling United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi said the government welcomed well-intentioned criticism and the government's shortcomings need to be highlighted, but she warned against the proliferation of "unregulated sources of information" that were having an impact on society.

She hoped the new media centre would act as a bridge between the government, the media and the people.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the building, which was first conceptualised 21 years ago, had finally become a reality.

The building is on Raisina Road, near the Press Club of India. It has been built by the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) in three years.

The project is aimed at further improving dissemination of information about government policies and programmes, the ministry said.

--Indo-Asian News service

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