Cutting across party lines, Odisha MLAs today expressed concern over the alleged negligence towards working journalists by the state government and demanded immediate provision of accomodation, pension and security for them.
The issue was raised by leader of BJP Legislature Party J N Mishra during zero hour. The government must provide accomodation and other facilities for the journalists who work day in and out, he said.
Demanding a ruling from the Speaker, Leader of oppostion Bhupinder Singh of Congress said that the BJD government has denied housing facilites for the working journalists and other benefits they are entited to get.
"While the government has given houses to 85 NGOs, working journalists are denied the facilities. The government has stopped allottng houses to journalists ever since it came to power in 2000," Singh said adding that the senior scribes in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Chhattishgarh are being given pensions.
Singh also said that there is no provision of giving financial assistance to journalists in event of illness.
Senior BJD member Amar Prasad Satpathy pointed out that while journalists were denied housing facilities, as many as 400 government quarters have been encroached illegally. He demanded restoration of housing provisions for working journalists.
Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat in a ruling asked the government to take note of the problems of journalists as raised by leader of opposition and other members.
