Congress and BJP members on Monday demanded in the State Assembly that the Government provide adequate protection and monetary incentive to working journalists and pension to retired ones.
Raising the issue during afternoon hours, Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingh Mishra urged the Speaker to direct the Government to enact laws in lines with Maharashtra and other States to provide adequate protection to working journalists.
“Journalists are not safe. They are being assaulted and misbehaved by public representatives. Laws should be enacted in lines
with the Maharashtra State for protection of the scribes,” he said.
Another Congress member Santosho Singh Saluja demanded that the Government should raise journalists’ insurance provision to Rs 5 lakh and they be paid a certain amount of monthly incentive by enacting a required legislation.
BJD MLA Prafulla Samal also urged the Government to raise insurance coverage of journalists from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Congress
MLA Suresh Routray too demanded incentive of Rs 8,000 per month for each working journalist and protection to them.
