National Journalist Welfare Board provided pensions to 17 senior scribes and made health insurance cover for accredited journalists and their family members on the occasion of National Press Day.
Thee facilities were provided at a function organised here yesterday by NJWB jointly with Doordarshan, All India Radio, Press Information Bureau (PIB) and media institute 'Amit.'
On the occasion, senior journalist Barendra Krushna Dhal was conferred with 'Utkal Sambadik Ratna' and editors of five newspapers of other states with 'Rashtriya Sambadik Gourab,' said NJWB state president Pradosh Kumar Patnaik.
Similarly, a student of the Utkal University was also felicitated with the 'Rabinarayan Mohanty Smaraki Samman' and a student the Utkal University of Culture with the 'Gopal Mishra Smaraki Samman.'
NJWB has been providing health insurance to about 200 journalists every year and also gives pension to senior scribes, said its state unit vice-president Pradumnya Kumar Mohanty.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Odisha's excise minister Damodar Rout, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani and NJWB president Deepak Malviya were among those who attended the function.
