Udupi (DHNS): Permission from Media Certification and Monitoring Committee(MCMC) is mandatory for publishing advertisements in favour of a party or a candidate in newspapers, electronic media and social media, Deputy Commissioner M Kurma Rao said.

He said that a separate office has been set up in the DC office complex to keep track of the media content.

Steps have been taken to verify the advertisements and content of the programmes aired in electronic media. The staff work in three shifts at the MCMC, he added.

‘’Eight TVs have been installed to view the programmes. Any advertisements published without permission of the MCMC amounts to a violation of the model code of conduct. A report on the same is submitted to the nodal officers,’’ Kurma Rao said.

‘’A DVR has been installed on the TV to record all the programmes. In case of reports of violation of the code of conduct and advertisements broadcast, necessary arrangements have been made to obtain relevant information from DVR and submit it to the returning officer of the concerned Assembly Constituency for further action,’’ he said.

Social media expert teams have also been constituted to monitor social media content, he said.

The DC said that the Election Commission has directed to conduct a free, fair and transparent elections.