Members in Odisha Assly demand pension and health insurance cover for Journalists
29 March,Bhubaneswar
Members cutting across party lines in Odisha Assembly today urged Speaker Niranjan Pujari to direct the government to initiate steps to identify the journalists, provide them pension and bring them under Health insurance cover.
Raising the issue during the zero hour, they said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during a discussion with the representatives of Journalists in 2013 had assured them to provide pension to the retired journalists and Health insurance. A committee was also constituted for the purpose and although the Committee has submitted its report the facilities have not yet been implemented, they rued.
Mahesh Sahu (BJD) said the owners of newspapers should be asked to give a list of the journalists working for their paper within a specific time frame and if they failed to submit the report their RNI registration should be put on hold. The issue was first raised by Mr Samir Ranjan Das (BJD) and later supported by others.
Das and his party colleague Amar Prasad Sapathy said eleven states including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Telengana, Madhya Pradesh, Assam , Chhatisgarh were providing pension and health insurance to the media persons. Odisha they said should also extend such facilities to the media persons.
Satpathy said Information and Public Relations Minister should make a statement on the issue in the house. Prafulla Samal (BJD) said while the census of tigers, elephants, crocodiles and snakes could be done, but so far the census of journalists could not be held.
He urged the Speaker to direct the government to ensure that pension and health insurance is provided to the journalists during the current financial year. Pradip Purohit (BJP) said the identification of journalists should be started. While the government of Assam and Kerala are providing a monthly pension of Rs 7,000 to 8,000 respectively, the Odisha government should also initiate action in this regard and provide pension to the journalist.
He was supported by BJP members Sanjeev Sahu and Pravat Biswal Dibya Shankar Mishra (BJD) demanded to construct a Samachar Bhawan,a training centre and formulate a policy for journalists. Like other states the journalists should be given an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh in the event of death and Rs three lakh to journalist who sustained serious injuries during their service period.
He too favoured for pension and health insurance cover for the journalists in the state. Mr Ramesh Chandra Chou Patnaik demanded government quarter, free bus passes, free treatment in hospitals, pension and free passes on various toll gates to the journalists. Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Chief Minister should declare by which time, the government would provide the facilities to the Journalists.