State executive committee meeting as well as the biennial conference of Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ), Baleswar chapter was held on Sunday at Chandipur.
Members of the union across the State attended the meeting which was inaugurated by MP RK Jena as chief guest. Sadar MlA JP Dash was guest of honour.
The national body member (NUJ) and adviser of the OUJ Prasanna Mohanty, vice president NUJ Shankar Mishra , OUJ president Prakash Panigrahi, secretary Ajay Sahu, district president Sisir Das, secretary Ramnarayan Satpathy and NUJ member Sibdas Kundu among others spoke about the difficulties faced by the journalists .
Most of the members alleged that journalists of the State continue to languish due to apathetic attitude of the Government. They said while the State Government was rolling out one after another scheme for the people of various sectors, yet nothing tangible had been done so far for the journalists. All assurances made to them have proved hollow.
The identification of scribes working in the State is yet to be made. The journalists lack social and financial security. The people in the sector are bearing the brunt of the neglect, they said.
Prasanna Mohanty besides alleging the media is being corporatised also alleged that there was no sight of Rs 5 crore corpus fund declared by the State Government before the last general elections.
The demands of the journalists have been pending for years.While their wages couldn't be settled they aren't covered under any kind of insurance under the Government schemes .As a result, the journalists are suffering a lot, he lamented.
MP Jena assured that he would pursue the issue with the cornered Minister.
The election of Baleswar chapter office bearers was held. Sisir Das and Ramnarayan Satpathy were elected president and secretary respectively. The members are Sibdas Kundu, Ubachak Mohanty, Gangadhar Rout and Ratikanta Patra.