Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Mar 11: The Government of India on Wednesday said that ₹6.63 lakh in penalties has been received from publications in Jammu & Kashmir through the Press Sewa Portal under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan said that all applications for registration of periodicals are now processed digitally through the Press Sewa Portal.
The minister said that over 1.5 lakh physical records of newspaper registrations created under the repealed Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867 have been digitised and integrated into the portal.
According to the government, several services including registration of new periodicals, revision of registration of existing publications, transfer of ownership, filing of annual statements, circulation verification and payment of penalties are now processed online through the portal.
The minister said that 780 district authorities across the country have been onboarded on the Press Sewa Portal and since March 1, 2024, a total of 11,081 applications have been processed and certificates issued under different categories.
As per the official data, 582 publications in Jammu & Kashmir have been cancelled under the provisions related to registration of periodicals.
The government also said that the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) continuously reviews the functioning of the portal and takes feedback to improve services and facilitate ease of doing business for periodical publications.
