Himachal Pradesh CM launches web portal for checking fake news

Shimla: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched a web portal here today for uploading information of fake and unverified news related to COVID-19 so that appropriate action could be taken to check such news. Web portal could be accessed at  http://fakenews.hp.gov.in.
He said that the information of the person providing information in this regard would be kept confidential. Provision of many security features like OTP etc. has been made in this web portal to ensure that such information is not provided by any anonymous person, he added.
Apart from this, people can give information about fake and unverified information circulating in media related to COVID-19 on e-mail: [email protected] or whatsapp number 9816323469.
The public is also requested to bring the information of the fake news being telecast or broadcast or circulated by any media platform related to COVID-19 to the notice of the Fake News Monitoring Unit constituted by the Government so that necessary action could be taken.
The Chief Minister said that newspapers, television news channels and digital/social media were making significant contribution in dissemination of factual information related to COVID-19. Due to this, the people of the state are getting correct information about this epidemic, he added. He said it has also been noticed that news media, especially some social media platforms, were circulating unverified information related to COVID-19, thus creating panic in the public.
He urged all media platforms and all the stakeholders not to spread rumours and unverified news and to cooperate with the Government in providing the verified information to the people so that we together could fight to prevent spread of this epidemic in the state.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu, Secretary Information and Public Relations Rajneesh and Director Harbans Singh Brascon were also present on the occasion.