Govt to build Soochna Bhavans in 12 state capitals in biggest regional media push in years: Report
New Delhi: In one of its most ambitious regional media outreach initiatives in recent years, the Centre plans to construct Soochna Bhavans in twelve state capitals, aimed at strengthening communication with regional press and consolidating government media units under one roof, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
The move, proposed by the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, comes against the backdrop of key state elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
According to the ministry’s proposal, the Soochna Bhavan will be modelled on Delhi’s National Media Centre and house multiple media wings — including the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), Publications Division and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The first phase will cover Lucknow, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Each Soochna Bhavan is expected to cost around Rs 40 crore, taking the total project outlay to about Rs 480 crore.
Designed as ground-plus-four-floor structures, the complexes will feature auditoriums for press conferences and screenings, workstations for journalists, e-libraries, VIP lounges, and welfare amenities such as crèches and gyms. They will also incorporate green building features like solar panels, rainwater harvesting and energy-efficient lighting.
The ministry has proposed state-of-the-art infrastructure, including modular workstations, high-speed internet, secure servers, CCTV surveillance, access control, baggage scanners and IP-based EPABX systems. Built on vacant All India Radio or Doordarshan campuses, the facilities will be centrally located for easier access, the report added.
Currently, most I&B media units are scattered across cities, often in rented private premises far from state government offices. “This leads to poor execution of tasks related to dissemination of information or executing government campaigns at the state or regional levels,” TIE quoted an official as saying.
A PIB-designated nodal officer will coordinate with stakeholders on approvals, while central and state-level panels will clear the final building layouts.
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
