THIS is with reference to the news about the government preparing media guidelines (July 25).

The PML-N government has never been efficient enough to counter media criticism. It lacks tolerance to digest criticism of the media and its past two tenures are testimony to it.

The government’s new guidelines about establishing a cell in each ministry and division to monitor the print and electronic media will involve lots of expenses and induction of professional and technical people.

The country is already suffering from an economic crunch and energy crisis.

The budget for this financial year is also not satisfactory enough.

Just imagine if each ministry and division of the government establishes its own separate monitoring cell and in each 50 LCDs are installed along with technical and professional people to operate and monitor them, how much expenses will it incur, besides the electricity it will require to run 24 hours? This is anybody’s guess.

Secondly, the ministry of information and broadcasting and the PID will be rendered dysfunctional.

Therefore, instead of establishing new monitoring cells in all ministries and divisions, the government should focus on establishing a central monitoring cell in the press information department .

Its budget should be increased to make it self-sufficient to project and publicise government polices and to counter media criticism in a speedy and able manner as was done by the previous PPP government during the floods of 2010 and 2011.

The PID is the mouthpiece of the government and its policies.

MUNEER DOMKI Larkana