Journo-turned Legislator raises social security issue of Journalists in Odisha Assembly: Demands pension for scribes with parents’ health assurance

Bhubaneswar, Dec 11: While scores of Odisha-based journalists are struggling with acute penury after their retirement from newsrooms and a lot of scribes’ family members lead a miserable life after disability or death of their bread maker, a journo-turned first time Legislator has been a ray of hope for the Fourth Estate.

The 1^st timer MLA from the Bhograi Constituency Goutam Buddha Das on Wednesday raised the demand in Odisha Assembly seeking Journalists’ pension and extended health coverage of their parents.

Highlighting the scribe’s legitimate demand which has been also a long cherished thirst of the scribes, during the Zero Hour, Das said that most of the veteran journalists across the state are living amid financial crisis. Some of them are quite unable to treat their elderly parents with adequate medical care.

Thus, he demanded that the state government should raise journalists' health coverage from 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per annum and include their parents ensuring their hassle-free healthcare.

Apart from it, Das urged the Mohan Majhi led Odisha government to bring a special law for the protection of working journalists, and establishment of a Press Academy in the state.

He also sought the intervention of Speaker Surama Padhy to constitute a committee to work out on the social security of the scribes ensuring pension and free health services for the journalists at the earliest.