EMN
DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 11
Nagaland Press Association (NPA) has appealed to the State government to expedite the process of setting up Journalist Welfare Fund (JWF), and made a slew of demands including formulation of pension scheme; rations quotas for working journalists and non-journalists of media houses and provision for housing facilities for journalists. Reiterating its demands made during a meeting with the chief minister on October 25, the NPA in its general body meeting held today here at Press Point also supported the demands placed by the Editors and Publishers of the print media to the government for immediate release of all pending bills of government advertisements by November 2014 and that the release of all future advertisements and payments be routed through Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) and also all payments of published advertisements be made within 45 days from the date of publication.
In this regard, the NPA resolved to support any future course of action which the newspapers may take on account of the government’s failure to respond positively to the demands.
On the hardships faced by the newspapers/media houses in Nagaland, especially the cost of printing materials and transportation which has increased, the NPA reiterated its earlier demands that the State government should take steps to ensure that the benefits of transport, capital and newsprint subsidies are made available according to the policy of Government of India. The NPA hoped that this would encourage not only the media houses but also other industries to grow in the State.
NPA general secretary, Along Longkumer in a release noted that the newspapers are the only surviving industries in Nagaland which provide employment to hundreds of people in the State despite difficult situation.
For better communication, the NPA urged the State government, political parties, civil societies, NGOs etc. to contact media fraternity through proper channel and use their media center for holding interaction with media such as press conference. It also decided that all the press conferences be held at Kohima Press Club for Kohima and the Press Point, Dimapur for Dimapur and any other suitable place for other district headquarters.
