New Delhi, Sep 22 - G.S. Bhargava, veteran journalist and former principal information officer of the government, died here Tuesday, his family said. He was 85.

During his journalistic career spanning four decades, Bhargava worked with the Hindustan Times as assistant editor and later with the Indian Express as resident editor at Hyderabad. He worked as a foreign correspondent in three South Asian countries too.

He was also the government's principal information officer in the late 1970s.

The Editors Guild of India mourned the death of Bhargava.

'Bhargava, 85, was an active member of the Guild, who took active interest in issues of press freedom and standards of journalism. 'Blue Pencil', his column on media reporting, was looked forward by journalists with both eagerness and uneasiness, as he was fair, but strict on the norms of journalism and writing skills,' the Guild said in a statement.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.