Journalists have been working in the interest of people despite hostile conditions in most of the times. They play a vital role in a democracy. Possibly, social disturbances would have crossed all limits if there were no media reporters.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan opined this gracing the National Press Day celebrations held here on Saturday.
The programme organised by the National Journalist Welfare Board (NJWB) was also graced by Information and Public Relations Minister Raghunandan Das, Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahy, Sahara News chief Upendra Ray and Loksevak Mandal secretary and Samaja publisher Niranjan Rath. While Minister Das termed senior scribes as ideals for the next professional generation, all other guests discussed about various problems of the working journalists.
While NJWB president Pradosh Patnai presided over the meeting, general secretary Sanat Mishra and vice-president Pradyumna Kumar Mohanty shared dais.
Earlier in the day, a seminar on “Reporting Interpretatoin-A Journy” had been held. Union Minister Pratap Sarangi speaking on the occasion said there should not be misuse of pen. Mines Minister Prafualla Mallick, Samaja convenor Suresh Mantri, for All India Radio State Correspondent Sudhanshu Sekhar Dhada, Utkal Journalists’ Association president Bibhuti Kar, senior journalists Bhagabat Tripathy, Ramesh Mohanty, Dillip Bishoyi, Guru Kalyan Mohapatra, Santosh Pande,Ashok Panda, Amit College director Trideb Narayan Mohanty and Prof Durgashankar Senapati participated. The seminar was presided over by senior journalist Arun Panda.
Eminent journalist Sarada Prasanna Nanda was conferred with the “Utkal Sambadika Ratna” award. At the national level, eight journalists, Upendra Ray, Prashan M Akray, Md Alam Azam Alli Mansuri, Narendra B Ahiri, Vinod Podar, Veem Sharma, Brijesh Singh and Raja Ghosh were honoured with “Rashtriya Sambadika Gourab” awards.
Journalism students such as Padmabati Kundu, Sohini Biswas, Alok Chandra Barik and Bidushi Roy were felicitated on the occasion. JSPL senior office Sanjay Sahoo was felicitated for the company’s excellent CSR activities. On the occasion, the NJWB announced to pay pensions to as many as 27 accredited and senior journalists.