Centre asks PTI to pay dues of over ₹84 cr for its office

NEWDELHI: The union ministry of housing and urban affairs has sent a notice to news agency Press Trust of India seeking payment of dues worth ~84.48 crore for its headquarter at Parliament Street in New Delhi.

The notice sent on July 7 by the Land and Development Office, which comes under the ministry, stated that the news agency has to clear its dues within a month.

“Further action to execute the lease deed shall be subject to complete payment and putting the premises to use as per permissible under the master plan,” the notice said. The notice added that if PTI did not comply with its terms, the concession of limiting the penalty will be withdrawn.

The notice comes two weeks after national broadcaster Prasar Bharati threatened to cancel its subscription to the news agency for its coverage.

The state broadcaster, under the ministry of information and broadcasting, had last month written a letter to the news agency over its coverage pertaining to an interview with the Chinese ambassador amid a tense border stand-off with the country along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

THE NOTICE SENT ON JULY 7 STATED THAT THE NEWS AGENCY HAS TO CLEAR ITS DUES WITHIN A MONTH