The Jharkhand Journalists Association has once again raised its voice for implementation of the Jharkhand Journalist Pension Scheme 2019 in interest of retired journalists of the State of Jharkhand. A delegation of the association today met Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh and handed over a memorandum to him seeking immediate implementation of the Scheme approved by the government.
In the letter, the JJA has requested that the State Cabinet had approved ‘Jharkhand Journalist Pension Scheme’ 2019 and a set of rules and regulations was notified by the government after the Governor of the State had cleared it in the year 2019.
“Two years later, the Jharkhand Journalist Pension Scheme 2019 hangs fire. It seems to be locked up in the government (Information and Public Relation Department) files, leaving retired journalists face untold financial woes,” it stated.
“Pension is a matter of a rightful entitlement recognised by the approved rules and regulations of the State which govern the service of the retired journalists in Jharkhand. No wonder why such rules and regulations were accepted by many states including Bihar where retired journalists have been getting pensions regularly.Not in our State.We feel Jharkhand under your leadership must not remain an odd State for journalists,” it further said.
The journalists’ body has requested the Chief Secretary to kindly order the concerned officers to dig out the Cabinet approved files of Jharkhand Journalist Pension Scheme 2019 and its rules and regulations and grant pension to retired journalists retrospectively as soon as possible.
The delegation included National General Secretary, Shahnawaz Hassan; National Secretary, Devendra Singh; National Secretary, Chandan Mishra; State President, Jharkhand,Vishnu Shankar Upadhayay; Member, State Advisory Committee, Jharkhand Journalist Association, Anupam Shashank.