PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting relief measures for the print media industry, which is facing a severe crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and the subsequent economic slowdown.
“Though India has successfully prevented the major outbreak of corona virus, its negative impact upon our Indian economy is very much difficult to be prevented. Therefore, I draw your kind attention, through this letter, the serious negative impacts faced by the print media sector, and also requesting you to bail them out in this time of economic crisis,” he said.
Mr. Ramadoss, in his letter, a copy of which was released to the media, pointed out that in the current situation, government advertisements are the only main source of revenue for the print media.
“Both the Union and State governments have significantly reduced its advertisement expenditures in the name of austerity measures. This will prevent the print media houses from getting government advertisements,” he said. On the other hand, as of now the Union and State governments have to pay an outstanding amount of around ₹1,500 crores to various print media houses, for their previous advertisements, Mr. Ramadoss said.
He also urged the Prime Minister to consider measures like full exemption of tax on newsprint, immediate release of outstanding payments for Union and State government advertisements and hiking the government advertising tariff for print media by 100%.
