Minister defends PIB deal with Soviet agency

The Union Government was assailed by an angry non-Communist Opposition in the Lok Sabha to-day [December 4, New Delhi] for the contract which the Press Information Bureau had entered into with the Soviet news and feature agency, Novosti known as A.P.N. There was a calling to attention notice on the subject. Amidst frequent interruptions and derisive comments from the non-Communist Opposition members, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. K.K. Shah, who placed a copy of the agreement on the table of the House, justified it, stating that he was satisfied with it. The Congress and Communist benches were conspicuous by their silence. The storm reached a crescendo when in reply to a question whether the decision to reach an agreement was taken by the Cabinet the Minister replied that the agreement was entered into by the Principal Information Officer of the Government of India, Mr. Shah said that he did not find anything wrong with it. The Minister underlined the fact that there was no question of the Press Information Bureau circulating to the Indian Press the material to be received from A.P.N. which was already distributing its material to the Indian Press through the Information Department of the Soviet Embassy.