Veteran journalists would now on get Rs 7,000 per month as Shradhha Nidhi (honour fund provided as pension to journalists), informed Public Relations and Water Resources departments Minister Narottam Mishra in the State Assembly on Tuesday while replying to budgetary demands of his departments.
Mishra said, "Veteran journalists of the State would now on get Rs 7,000 per month as Shradhha fund. Till now, the amount was Rs 6,000 per month. Besides, now onwards the photo journalists and camera persons of electronic media would also be entitled for the pension provided to the journalists and the eligibility age for getting this pension has also been reduced by two years from 62. It has now been made 60 years."
Mishra further said that parents of the journalists have also been included in the journalist medical assistance scheme. The assistance of Rs 50,000 provided to the journalists for treatment of serious diseases has also been increased to Rs 1 lakh that would be transferred in the account of the hospital. From now on, the non-accredited journalists would also be entitled for the journalists' insurance scheme and in such cases the Government would bear 50 per cent of the premium amount, he added.
He informed the house that the journalists of the State could go for study tours in the State and outside the State from now on. For this a scheme would be implemented. A journalists skill development cell would also be established, he added.
He said that a State-level committee to study the difficulties of journalists would be constituted. The Public Relations Minister further said that the public relations is continuously making efforts for the branding of the State and in this direction a proposal for making a film has been made.
While replying to the budgetary demands of the water resources department, Mishra told the House Rs 2,208 crore have been sanctioned for the schemes of Shivpuri and Datia districts, Rs 765 crore for Mandsaur distrcits' Shamgarh and Suwasra, Rs 384 for Dindori scheme in Dindori district, Rs 132 crore for Karanjiya, Rs 386 crore for Kadan in Sagar district, Rs 49.11 crore for Khatola complex, Rs 42.34 for Gwalior districts' Tiktoli scheme, Rs 19.74 crore for Tikamgarh's Satdhara, Rs 33.18 for Rosiya in Khargone, Rs 37.44 crore for Ghat Biroli of Betul, Rs 928 crore for Gonda scheme of Sidhi district, Rs 115 crore for Hirwar in Shahdol and Rs 330 crore for Chettikhedi of Sheopur.