New Delhi: In a bid to reach people in the state and beyond, the Bharatiya Janata Party led government in Assam has come up with the idea of a newsletter to communicate to the masses details about the state government’s policies and programmes. Launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Guwahati Tuesday, the newsletter — titled Asom Barta or Voice of Assam — is expected to “give people the opportunity to learn about the developmental journey of Assam”.
A statement released by the Assam government claimed it to be the first such initiative by any state government in India.
The 16-page monthly newsletter, available in Assamese, English, Hindi and Bengali, “will enable the people of Assam to stay connected to their government and its policies”, claimed a statement released by the Assam government.
“In the first phase, the target is to reach one crore readers via various modern technologies such as Whatsapp, Telegram, E-mail, SMS and other social media platforms. Over 10,000 hard copies of Asom Barta will be printed and delivered on a periodic basis to all State Government offices at the district & block level and to eminent citizens across the country,” the statement added.
Publication and content curation of the newsletter will be handled by Assam’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) and the department’s director, Bishnu Kamal Bora will act as editor-in-chief. The publication team will include four other members from different, related professions.
“This newsletter will break all barriers between the government and the people. It is the first of its kind initiative (by any state) and goes with what PM Modi also believes, that there should be more communication between the government and the people,” Bora told ThePrint.
“Will highlight good practices of the government”
Talking about the character of the newsletter, Bora said, “We intend to build a strong subscription base so that we are able to carry success stories of the government. There will be an advisory board that will constitute senior journalists and intellectuals of the state. Their opinion over state policies and programmes will also be sought periodically.”
A senior official in the state government added that “several staff members who have taken initiatives (handled government projects) will get an opportunity to write about the government’s policies and programmes. Sometimes the Chief Minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) himself will write on aspects of governance, he will directly communicate with the people.”
According to Bora, the newsletter will also help members of the Assamese diaspora from across the world stay connected with their state.
“It is not possible (for the people) to keep a track of all policy meetings with important announcements. The newsletter will capture important announcements and all the good practices of the state government. The diaspora across the world will also get to know about homegrown talents and inspiring figures (who will be profiled in the newsletter). The government’s microfinancing schemes have helped many and we believe it should be talked about more.”
Bora added: “In its first edition, we focused on the cancer hospitals that were built in collaboration with the TATA group in Assam. All the unsung heroes within the government who have made an impact in their respective fields, will be focussed on. Stories about Assamese soldiers would also be highlighted in the upcoming editions.”
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
Also read: Modi govt’s gift to India’s elderly poor — bamboo walking sticks from Northeast at your door