MlAs cutting across party lines on Wednesday expressed concerns in the Assembly that working journalists remain to be a neglected lot as the State Government was yet to identify them and provide pensions and health insurance coverage to them like other States.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJD MlA Samir Ranjan Das said working journalists pay a vital role the State’s development by disseminating information to people. By now, 11 States are providing pensions ranging from Rs 7,000 to 10,000 per month tor retired journalist and health insurance coverage upto five lakh to working journalists.
“While the State Government has provided supports to all sections of people, scribes need to be provided health insurance coverage and pension. The Government should act in this regard at the earliest,” said Das.
Similarly, Amar Prasad Satpathy, Prafulla Samal, Pravat Ranjan Biswal, Sanjib Sahu, Dibyashankar Mishra, Dr RC Chyaupatnaik and Priyadarshi Mishra of BJD, Pradeep Purohit and Rabinarayan Nayak of BJP and Tara Prasad Bahinipati of Congress made the same demand.
The States which are providing pensions and insurance coverage are Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnatak.