Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja held an extensive interaction with senior journalists at Lok Seva Bhawan on Wednesday, addressing key concerns related to journalist welfare and promising timely government action. The meeting focused on improving benefits for journalists across the state and strengthening the institutional mechanisms supporting the media fraternity.
Also present were Additional Chief Secretary of the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department Hemant Sharma, I&PR Director Anuj Kumar Das Patnaik, and Technical Director Gurbir Singh.
Acknowledging the essential role of print, electronic, and social media in a democratic system, Chief Secretary Ahuja said, “Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. The state government takes your concerns seriously and is committed to finding effective solutions.”
The discussions covered a wide range of issues, including the proposal to enact a Journalists’ Protection Act, provision of pension schemes for senior journalists, streamlined accreditation, and broader coverage of journalist welfare schemes, such as health insurance and identity cards for access to Lok Seva Bhawan.
To ease the entry process for journalists into government premises, officials agreed to simplify and fast-track the issuance of identity cards. Suggestions were also made to rationalize the allocation of government advertisements to daily and weekly newspapers in line with publicity requirements.
One key outcome of the meeting was the decision to organize a separate awareness session with the third-party insurance agency to better inform journalists about available health insurance coverage and the claim process.
Highlighting the government’s efforts, officials noted that 7,486 journalists have already been enrolled in the Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana. From 2021 to 2024, compensation of ₹4 lakh each has been provided to the families of 80 deceased journalists. Additionally, ₹15 lakh each was extended to the families of 49 journalists who passed away due to COVID-19, under the Journalist Welfare Fund.
Senior journalists including Bhagabat Tripathi, Sanat Mishra, Pitabas Mishra, and Pradyumna Kumar Mohanty participated in the discussion and shared their perspectives.
