Journalists affiliated with the Senior Journalist Association, Odisha (SJAO) here have decided to stage a demonstration in front of the Odisha assembly on 15 December in support of their charter of demands.
The demands of the SJAO included among other things provision of pensions for retired journalists in the twilight years of their life and enactment of the journalists’ security Act
The SJAO, in an executive body meeting here, urged the state government should implement a monthly pension scheme for the aged and retired journalists on the ground that they are encountering acute financial hardship.
The outfit also made an appeal to the government to take steps to introduce it for all working journalists irrespective of accreditation after their superannuation from their work.
As many as 16 states across the country have introduced pension schemes and several welfare measures after a journalist relinquishes an active job by enforcing several modalities and criteria in the scheme. However, the Odisha government has not adopted any pension scheme for the senior scribes after they stop working due to advancing age, president of SJAO Kahnu Nanda said.
The SJAO also sought for the enactment of a legislation like it has been enacted in Maharashtra to provide security and safety to scribes so that they will be able to discharge their professional pursuit and can fearlessly uphold the freedom of speech.
The SJAO executive body meeting was attended by organization president Kahnu Nanda, vice president Pradipta Kishor Choudhury, general secretary Ashutosh Behera, , assistant secretary Maheswar Tripathy, organizing secretary Biplab Mohanty treasurer Amar Nath Parida, senior scribes Saroj Kumar Mishra, Devendra Singh, Bharat Barik, Saroj Nayak, Benudhar Nayak executive body members Niranjan Barik, Gouranga Swain, Bipin Sethy, Chitaranjan Das, Gangadhar Rout, and Mihira Nayak.