Srinagar, 3 January 2025 – Editors and owners of new newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir have voiced concerns over the lack of empanelment, despite fulfilling all necessary formalities with the Jammu and Kashmir’s information department.
The last round of empanelment took place in 2019, and since then, no new newspapers have been considered for inclusion—this despite the department's own guidelines, which call for a biannual process of empanelment.
Several publications, some of which have been operating independently for over eight years, have not received government advertisements or support.
Stakeholders argue that this delay is significantly affecting their growth and ability to sustain their operations.
They have urged the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and the information department to resolve the issue swiftly, stressing the need for fairness and transparency in the empanelment process.