How many fake web portals are in Odisha? Here’s what Minister replies

Bhubaneswar: With the web journalism is booming and dominating the media industry  in today’s era, shockingly, Odisha Government has no information about fake web portals.

A statement by Information & Public Relation (I&PR) Minister Pradip Kumar Amat revealed it during Budget session of Odisha Assembly here today.

Replying to a query asked by BJP MLA Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, who represents Jashipur Assembly Constituency in Mayurbhanj district, the Minister said that there is no exact information available with the Odisha I&PR Department on the number of fake web portals in the State.

In the House, the legislator asked about the number of fake web channels in Odisha and whether the Government has any data about a Gunupur-based web channel titled ‘Janata News’ in Rayagada district.

“If the web channel really exists, will the Government investigate into allegations of extortion by the said organisation from different institutions holding rallies and demonstrations at lower PMG area and other public meetings in Bhubaneswar,” Khuntia asked.

However, the Minister failed to provide the legislator about exact number of web channels engaged in disseminating false news and extorting money from various organisations promising them to carry their stories on its site.

“The I&PR department is yet to gather data about the ‘Janata News’ web channel that is allegedly duping in broad daylight with a boom at lower PMG on pretext of publishing news on its website,” Amat said.

Clarifying the matter, he said that the complaint pertaining to content published on the web channel is a subject matter under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of Government of India. The guidelines in this regard are clearly mentioned in ‘The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021’.