Tribune Newspaper Closes Down Srinagar Edition
Srinagar: Days after national daily ‘The Tribune’ closed down its Srinagar Bureau office, indicating laying off its local staff, the district Magistrate Srinagar, warned the publisher of action, under pandemic law, if the staff is not paid its salary.
According to news gathering agency KDC, the newspaper had communicated to Deputy Commissioner Srinagar on 29th, September 2020, of its decision to close down Srinagar bureau office, citing financial losses as the reason for closure.
The District Magistrate Srinagar office, in its reply under number DCS/DDHA/Hq/20/165, dated 10th October 2020, warned the Assistant General Manager (AGM) Human Resource (HR) wing that with Disaster Management Act 2005 in force as a result of Covid-19, it is binding on the newspaper, under pandemic law to ensure payment of wages of its workers at their workplaces, on the due date without any deduction, for the period under lockdown.
The order on behalf of District Magistrate Srinagar, who also heads the District Disaster Management Authority as its Chairman, is issued by Tehsildar Head Quarter Deputy Commissioner’s office Srinagar Dr. Irtiza Jeelani.
Under the said law it’s compulsory for all the employers of public and private establishments, the Ministry of Labour and Employment GOI had issued an advisory to Chief Secretaries of all UTs and states against terminating employees, reducing their wages or forcing them to go on leave.
The order addressed to AGM HR of ‘The Tribune Trust’, the District Magistrate has cleared the advisory to newspapers, in Disaster situations, which says that with Disaster Management Act 2005 in force, closing the publishing and printing unit in district Srinagar cannot be allowed to violate the guidelines from the Home Ministry GOI.
“Any violation of the orders, under Disaster Management Act 2005, shall invite action under section 51 and 58 of the Act,” the order reads.
Meanwhile sources told KDC that after the warning from District Disaster Management Authority Srinagar, of action in case the advisory is violated the Tribune Trust is holding a two day meet of its Board of Trustees on 26th and 27th October 2020 to discuss the issue and to take a final call on the matter.
Pertinently, Srinagar edition of the paper was launched during the tenure of N N Vohra as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir erstwhile state, who also heads the Tribune Trust.
