Ezrela Dalidia Fanai, NET Correspondent, Mizoram
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on March 28, 2022, graced the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Department of Information & Public Relations at I&PR Auditorium.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the Jubilee plague and Souvenir and praised the 50 years of hard work of the department. He stated that the Department has always been playing the role of disseminating crucial information to the public and in present days of fast social media, plays a crucial role in circulating the right information that can be useful for the public.
The Chief Minister also stressed on the importance of a cordial working relationship between the media houses and the Department of Information & Public Relations to bring out truthful and trustworthy information to the public.
I&PR Minister Lalruatkima stated the importance of the department as bridging the gap between the public and the government, of publication of important government schemes to the public and also commended them on their role in giving the public correct and reliable information during the chaotic times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department Director Lallianpuii today gave a report on the department’s history and current status. According to her report, there are 22 vacancies in the Ministerial post, 38 vacancies in the AVPA (Cameramen/ Photographer, etc.) and 29 vacancies in Group ‘A’ (Officer) posts.
Before Mizoram became a Union Territory, Lushai Hills District Council had one Information Officer. When it became a UT in 1972, Information, Public Relations & Tourism (IPR&T) was formed. In 1980, Printing & Stationery Department became an independent department while Tourism Department was formed in 1987.