Guwahati: Assam chief minister on Friday issued a strict direction to all the members of his council of ministers not to offer cash or bribe to any journalist as “Bihu or any other gifts”.
This came after a senior cabinet minister of the Sonowal cabinet tried to bribe the journalists by offering cash in a press conference at his residence here on Wednesday.
Informing that chief minister has taken strong exception to behavior of a senior minister, sources said that chief minister has warned the ministers to refrain from indulging in such practices.
The incident took place on Wednesday when a senior minister convened a press conference at residence. As the group of journalists was about to enter the minister’s residential office, an official from the forest department approached journalists and offered them some notes of Rs 2,000 denomination stating that it was a ‘Bihu gift from the minister’.
However, some of the journalists not only turned down the offer but also registered a strong protest before the ministers. The journalists also warned the minister to refrain from indulging in such practices as it has been viewed as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the journalist fraternity. They also brought this to the notice of the CM who on Friday said that any such action brings bad name to the government.
Mr Sonowal also said that his government has launched a concerted drive to eradicate corruption.
