Odisha Chief Secretary Holds Talks With Senior Journalists On Welfare Measures

In a lengthy meeting with prominent journalists at Lok Seva Bhawan on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja addressed important issues pertaining to the welfare of journalists and pledged prompt government action. Enhancing advantages for journalists throughout the state and fortifying institutional systems that assist the media community were the main goals of the conference. Anuj Kumar Das Patnaik, Technical Director Gurbir Singh, and Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary of the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department, were also in attendance.

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.

Officials decided to expedite and streamline the issuing of identity cards in order to facilitate journalists’ access to government buildings. In accordance with publicity standards, recommendations were also made to streamline the distribution of government ads across daily and weekly periodicals. The decision to hold a separate awareness session with the third-party insurance agency to further educate journalists about the claim procedure and available health insurance coverage was one of the meeting’s main outcomes.