EMN
Dimapur, October 25
Chief Minister TR Zeliang has assured to study the schemes implemented for welfare of journalists in other states and take appropriate steps accordingly. He gave the assurance to a delegation of Nagaland Press Association (NPA) led by its president K Temjen Jamir who met him at his office in Kohima today to apprise him about the immediate needs of the media fraternity in the State.
The NPA placed on record the commitments of the Nagaland government for providing facilities for the working journalists and also impressed upon him that there are other issues relating to welfare of working and non-working journalists in the State which need attention.Expressing gratitude to the State government for taking up the earlier representation submitted by the NPA for Journalists Welfare Fund, the NPA however, pointed out that the Journalists Welfare Fund is yet to be announced by the government.
The Association requested the Chief Minister to expedite the process of setting up the said fund, saying setting up of such a welfare fund would help the journalists as well as non-journalists in the media houses in difficult times such as accidents, medical treatments and even help the family in case of death.
Stating that states like Manipur have announced a series of welfare schemes for the journalist community, the NPA felt that that Nagaland fovernment too can follow the same.
Under Journalist Welfare Scheme and PDS, the journalists in Manipur are issued 50 kgs of ration each at the rate of Rs 9.30 per kg by the state government. Such scheme can also be considered for the working journalists in the state of Nagaland, it stated.
The NPA also requested the government to formulate Pension Scheme for the journalists on the lines of other state governments.
It cited that in Tamil Nadu, the government is paying monthly pension of Rs 4000 to retired journalists who had served for 20 years in the field of journalism while the Manipur government has also launched pension scheme for working journalists in 1996.
The NPA reminded the Chief Minister about the implementation of the Journalist Welfare Fund as well as housing facilities for journalists which was mentioned in the earlier memorandum.
It also reminded him to make transport and newsprint subsidies available to the media houses and clear all the pending bills regarding advertisements according to the policy of the government of India.
