The Joint Coordination Committee of Journalists formed by the Utkal Journalists’ Association (UJA) and the Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ) on Saturday condemned the State Government’s discriminatory policy in allotment of Government quarters to a select group of journalists ignoring major demands of the scribes. The committee alleged that the Government has betrayed hundreds of journalists by trying to pacify only a few of them.
Addressing a Press conference here, UJA president Pratap Mohapatra said unless the genuine demands of the journalists are met, scribes across the State would wear black badges at the meetings of Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik.
“Journalists will also stage demonstrations at district and sub-divisional headquarters,” said OUJ general secretary Kailash Nayak.The committee also raised objection against the ongoing process followed by the Government to include journalists in the insurance scheme and termed the entire exercise process as a total hoax.
The committee further alleged that the high power committee formed by the Government to look into the demands of the journalists is being ignored and termed it as eyewash just to calm the journalists for the time being. National Union of Journalists secretary general Prasanna Mohanty, among many others, were present at the Press meet.