Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath has said paid news was a serious problem in the electoral process and a close watch would be kept on it during the Assembly polls in five states later this year. He said that besides keeping a tab on paid news, election expenditure of candidates would also be monitored.

After holding a high level meeting with officers of Rajasthan and central government departments at the State Secretariat in Jaipur, Mr Sampath said that paid news would be a focus area of the Election Commission this time and a Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) would be set up at the district level to check it.

The CEC said that a three-tier MCMC would find and work on complaints of paid news and expenditure of candidates. He said election dates would be announced after completion of the review of preparations in the poll bound states and the Model Code of Conduct would come in force with the announcement of election schedule.