Leh, March 16: To implement the newly formulated advertisement policy, the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh has constituted the UT-level Panel Advisory Committee (PAC) to empanel newspapers and periodicals for the printing of advertisements of the UT Administration and District Administration of Leh and Kargil.

The PAC comprises the Secretary of Information and Public Relations as the chair, Joint Director/Deputy Director/Under Secretary (Information) as the member secretary, Director (Finance), Director (Tourism), Director (Social Welfare Department), Assistant Director (I&PR) of the districts and two representatives from the printed media nominated by the Administration. Other than specifying the eligibility for empanelment, the UT Administration has also mentioned the policy for special weightage, including a balanced and equitable distribution of advertisements among the registered newspapers and periodicals. 

The PAC would meet twice a year for considering the applications for empanelment. Advertisements, both classified and display, of the Administration of UT Ladakh would be routed through the Office of Joint Director of Information and Public Relations.  The rates fixed by the Department of Information and Public Relations from time to time would apply to all the newspapers and periodicals in UT Ladakh.

The advertising policy includes the policy for releasing the advertisement, the test of journalistic code of ethics violations and deletion of papers/periodicals from the empanelment list in case the DIPR finds it unacceptable for the advertisement policy.