Jul 31, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) president, Mr Bahubali Shah has issued an advisory to all members of INS to consider reducing the use of newsprint by at least 20% in their publications, The Navhind Times reported. This step follows intensive consultations by him and Mr Mohit Jain, Chairman, newsprint, INS with a number of publisher members on measures to meet the challenge of extraordinary and uncalled for rise in indigenous newsprint prices over the past few months. Mr. Shah, after a meeting remarked that the publishers were dismayed at what clearly appear to be elements of cartelisation.This, he said, is an attempt to reap windfall gains keeping in view the difficulties in imports on account of rise in international freight, transport bottlenecks and other factors. No developments in India could have led to cost increases which would remotely justify the price shooting up by over 50% in about six months. What has added to the anguish of INS members is the fact that it is they who have over a long period of time, helped nurture the production of indigenous newsprint by ensuring its use along with imported newsprint, despite the quality problems faced in terms of productivity, wastage, printability and runability in their printing machines. They did not want to be dependent solely on imports. However, the present situation has shown that increased indigenous availability and manufacturing capacity offers no relief against import bottlenecks, if cartelisation becomes widely prevalent.