Imphal, January 30: The Directorate of Information and Public Relations which is the only official link between the State Government and the people has not made any significant progress since its inception even as the private media establishments have made giant strides.

Established in 1950 as the Publicity Department and later changed to the present Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), it is unable to provide colour photographs.

even as several newspapers published in the State have gone multi colour and is only able to provide black and white photographs despite its long history, said a source.

In today's cyber age, the daily press releases/news items issued by DIPR are all handwritten and cyclostyled copies.

Computer print outs is still only a dream, added the source.

In a bid to stand itself against the fast growing private media establishments, the Directorate has procured three digital cameras.

Even then these cameras serve no purpose as there is no computer for the Directorate, informed a source.

It is reported that after the suspension of still camera service, video coverage provided by DIPR has also been stalled following battery failure.

The source mentioned that 2/3 computer sets were bought at the time of Vth National Games held in 1999 at Imphal.

Even as cables were laid to connect the Directorate with the National Informatics Centre, lack of computers have rendered all the efforts useless, it remarked.

Meanwhile, the Directorate deposited Rs 16 lakhs to MANITRON for purchase of computer sets.

However, the Government has been sleeping on the Directorate's demand to refund the deposited amount while MANITRON is claiming that the cheques deposited have no valid account.

For the time being, a proposal to buy a computer set has been submitted to the Government, added the source.

Moreover it is the only Directorate in all the North Eastern States with no official website of its own, remarked the source.

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