Journalists should get a uniform pension across the country

Dr Satyawan Saurabh *

Manipur Newspaper Clippings :: Pix - TSE

To get a pension, you must be recognized by the Haryana government for a period of five years. Under this order, journalists working in this field for twenty years will get a pension. After reporting for a newspaper for 30 to 40 years, journalists who have not been recognized by the Haryana government for five years will not get any benefit.

To ensure that all journalists get government recognition, the Haryana government should give journalist pensions to all journalists who reach the age of sixty. To do this, there should be a consensus on recognizing journalists at the tehsil level.

Therefore, in relation to social security and pension, the government should form a national team. Which will research the policies of the states and the Center and provide a decent pension to all journalists instead of giving a piecemeal amount. Which will study the schemes of the Center and the states and give a respectable pension to all journalists instead of giving something to some in a piecemeal manner.

The government still considers pensions as its responsibility. It has not abolished pensions. It gives many types of pensions. Both MLAs and MPs get pensions. After becoming an MLA, MP, and Rajya Sabha member, you are entitled to get three types of pension. Some people get three types of pension, and some do not get any. In some states, award winners also get pensions.

What kind of justice is this? The voice of the poor and oppressed people has been raised through journalists. These people have done many things with the power of their words. Now it is important that other public representatives and communities also raise their voices for journalists.

They should raise the issues of journalists and fight for fundamental rights to improve their standard of living. It is sad that our journalists advocate for the rights of the deprived. They risk their lives to do their work. They run from morning to evening to avoid the worries of their loved ones.

They do not stop working until they resolve a problem. However, they are unable to write about their issues. So far, the Labour Resources Department has not included journalists in the list of skilled workers. Specifically, there are three important issues facing journalists that need to be resolved. The rules regarding work experience for pensions should be relaxed to eliminate the need for government recognition.

Also, the government should include blocks after district and subdivision in its gazette to recognize rural journalists. Journalists should also be part of the Labour Resources Department. The list of skilled workers includes skilled workers who prepare content.

Journalists work round the clock in hot, cold, and rainy conditions. There is a working time for a worker, but the working hours of a journalist are not fixed. Both journalists and journalism are going through a transitional period.

The Government of India as well as the state governments should take steps to protect the interests of journalists. The government should formulate a plan to address journalist harassment, as it is a serious issue. All journalists working today urgently need medical facilities, security for journalists, pensions, and press accreditation for desk workers.

Rural journalists should be recognized as journalists by the government. The Department of Labour Resources should publish a list outlining the status of skilled workers and amend its gazette. The journalist community should soon be able to avail itself of benefits such as insurance and other worker-provided facilities.

Journalists are also competent professionals. They contribute content, which is later converted into a newspaper. A newspaper is a product, and our journalists play a role in creating it as expert workers.

Therefore, the government should consider it immediately. The Journalist Pension Scheme and Journalist Insurance Scheme are two important programs for the welfare of journalists that the government should also implement properly.

Some journalists get the benefit of the Journalist Pension Scheme. However, many journalists are not eligible for the pension scheme. For this, the rules of the Journalist Pension Scheme need to be relaxed. At present, different states have different conditions for those receiving journalist pensions.

For example, in Haryana, apart from twenty years of work experience, five years of government recognition are required. A large number of senior journalists have to suffer the brunt of this. As a result, if this rule is relaxed, journalists should get pensions on the basis of affidavits like the Journalist Insurance Scheme.

Pension eligibility should be based on the senior journalist's ten years of work experience, with an age limit of 60 years. According to the Journalist Pension Scheme, they should get a pension on the basis of their affidavit and sixty years of age.

Regarding the work experience certificate, the government should provide a list from the District Information Public Relations Department of each district. Whenever journalists go to the election, they submit the identity card issued by the District Election Officer through the Election Commission.

Apart from this, journalists cover the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and other major events. Various major political parties and district governments issue special identity cards during news coverage. As a result, the government keeps a record of news coverage and election-related work experience. Journalists should get a pension from the government based on their performance.

Apart from offering free transportation in government buses and insurance programs for journalists, media centers should be established in each district so that media persons can do their work without any hassle.

The government runs many types of social security programs. Some federal and state-level programs are running. Some are giving 6,000 to farmers; some are giving 10,000. Some give unemployment allowance; some give something else. Some have an old age pension of one thousand, some two thousand. Some are organizing pilgrimages; some are organizing aarti.

Many senior journalists write that they are not able to earn a regular living. They will somehow control their expenses after retirement. If children are unable to help, then God is the only option. Not every child is able to earn enough money to support everyone.

This results in family discord. Therefore, the government should form a national team for social security and pension. Which will research the schemes of the Center and the States and provide a good pension to all journalists instead of giving only a few to some journalists.