Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 27: As Gove-rnment of Haryana announces pension scheme for retired journalists, Press Club of Jammu has urged Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to introduce the similar scheme in the State for the welfare of the working journalists.
Haryana has become the first State of north India to offer pension to retired journalists. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal handed over certificates to 10 veteran journalists yesterday to mark completion of three years of his Government. Under the pension scheme, the retired journalists would be entitled to monthly pension of Rs 10,000.
“Journalists in the State of Jammu and Kashmir are working in a conflict zone and they have no security cover for their future life,” said Ashwani Kumar, president of PCJ.
Quoting number of examples of journalists leading a miserable life due to no financial security after retirement or meeting an accident, Ashwani said that the J&K Government should also come up with a scheme keeping in view the circumstances and the atmosphere in which the journalists are covering events.
“Many of the journalists in the State are facing hardships due to financial crunch and there is no help to them from the Government side,” he said and appealed to the Chief Minister to address the matter on priority.
Ashwani said that the former Chief Minister and the incumbent CM’s father, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had shown keen interest in the proposal, when the management of the Press Club of Jammu met him and he had directed to the Government machinery to initiate the process. “But unfortunately, he added, proposals with regard to Journalists Welfare Scheme and Journalists Pension Scheme are still pending before the Government.
“We hope that the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will surely follow the footsteps of her father and address the grievances of the journalist fraternity so that they can lead a secure life after retirement or in case meet an untoward like incident,” he expressed.
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