Public Relations dept. readying itself for new era

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 8. The State Public Relations Department is readying itself for the new era of computers and communications.

The stenciling machine producing press releases with the smudged and half visible letters would soon give way to its electronic counterparts and the releases would appear on the Internet.

The Director Public Relations, Mr. X. Anil, said here today that all offices of the department such as the Office of the Minister for Information, Directorate, district offices and the Office in Delhi would be computerised. A sum of Rs. 13 lakhs had been set apart for this.

The department would also be acquiring digital cameras and would start releasing colour photographs both in the digital and printed form. Department officers were being trained at the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology.

Mr. Anil said the department was considering formation of State and district-level committees for centralised handling of advertisements issued by Government departments and public sector units. The Minister for Information, Mr. M. M. Hassan, would head the State-level committee. The Director would be the convener. At the district-level, the Collector would chair the committee. The District Information Officer would be the convener.

He said the department had plans to start its offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkota and Bangalore in collaboration with the Non- Resident Keralites' Affairs Department. It would acquire four mobile units for Government publicity.

The State Government would soon be formulating policies on official content on the internet. The web portal of the Government, which is currently being managed by the Information Technology Department, is likely to be brought under the Public Relations Department.

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Section  : Southern States
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