National Press Day : CM assures to take media persons under CMHT
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 16 2018:
Chief Minister N Biren Singh has assured that media persons would be taken within the ambit of the Chief Ministergi Hakselgi Tengbang (CMHT) scheme and the matter will be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting.
He said that the criteria required for the scheme will be relaxed for media persons and they can claim the monetary assistance of up to Rs 2 lakh under the scheme.
Those scribes who have enrolled in the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) can also enjoy the benefits of AYUSHMAN Bharat scheme which have the ceiling illness assistance fund of up to Rs 5 lakh, he added.
The Chief Minister was speaking as chief guest at the observance of the National Press Day, 2018 which was organized today by DIPR, Government of Manipur at 1st MR Banquet Hall here.
Stating that the National Press Day is observed every year on November 16 in commemoration of the establishment of Press Council of India on this day in 1966, he reminded that the PCI has also recommended certain guidelines/professional ethics for journalism.
The observation of National Press Day newly instils the commitment to free, fair and responsible journalism among the media fraternity, he said.
Saying that media plays a pivotal role in a democratic set-up and is being considered as its fourth pillar, Biren asserted that dissemination of positive news from the State has been able to attract many international and domestic tourists to the State.
He urged the journalist community in the State to strengthen their role in National integration and promoting communal harmony in the State.
He also maintained that media needs to consider about Act East Policy and give special emphasis to it.
Delivering the presidential speech at the function, Karam Shyam pointed out that media personnel in the State have been discharging their responsibilities despite facing many risky and difficult situations, including financial woes.
It is disheartening to see many veteran journalists in the State living in a dilapidated condition when they retire or disengage from their profession, he said adding that considering their plight and taking up welfare schemes for them is a must for encouraging and honouring their profession.
IPR Director H Balkrisna Singh also attended the function as the guest of honour.
As part of the function, State Journalist Awards were conferred to eight media persons from various media houses in different categories.
The media persons who were honoured with the State Journalist Awards included Poknapham Editor A Robindro Sharma (Best Editor on National Integration & Communal Harmony), the People's Chronicle Staff Reporter S Bigyan (Rural Reporting), Hueiyen Lanpao's Senior Staff Reporter Bijoy Laishram (Health and Hygiene), Staff Reporter A Bebecha (Women and Children), Special Correspondent N Gyanand (Art and Culture), Sub-Editor Puyam Rameshwar (Parliamentary Reporting), Senior Sports Journalist Ratneshowri Goswami (Sports) and Naharolgi Thoudang Sub-Editor Kshetri Meghajit (Science and Technology) .
A workshop on this year's National Press Day theme "Journalism: Ethics and Challenges in Digital Era" was also held in the afternoon session of the observance.
Imphal Free Press Editor Pradip Phanjoubam moderated the workshop while Impact TV Editor Yumnam Rupachandra and Manipur Hills Journalists' Union secretary Peter Adani spoke as resource persons.