Corpus fund for journalists pension scheme AMWJU president points finger at APO (Press)
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 19 2019: The All Manipur Working Journa-lists' Union (AMWJU) president Bijoy Kakching-tabam has categorically stated that it was DIPR's APO (Press) T Sangeeta who said the corpus fund for journalists pension scheme had exhausted.

The APO (Press) made this statement at a meeting held in the office room of DIPR Commissioner on the journalist pension scheme, Bijoy pointed out.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, the AMWJU president said he raised a few queries about the corpus fund during the meeting which was chaired by the DIPR Commissioner.

"While discussing the journalist pension scheme, I asked how much the amount fixed-deposited as corpus fund had grown", Bijoy said.

Corpus fund for journalists pension scheme AMWJU president points finger at APO (Press)

"To my query, T Sangeeta replied that the fixed deposit amount had disappeared/exhausted and the journalist pension were being paid out of Rs five lakh incorporated in the State budget", he narrated.

As the particular statement was made by a responsible officer at a meeting chaired by the IPR Commissioner, the statement was cited during the foundation day celebration of AMWJU, Bijoy said.

APO (Press) T Sangeeta also said that they have been facing a difficult situation in implementing the pension scheme and she proposed that all should work together to raise the corpus fund.

"I cited the APO (Press)'s statements during the foundation day celebration to draw the Chief Minister's attention so that the Government adds certain amount to the corpus fund.

I was also deeply hurt when I was told that the corpus fund had exhausted", he continued.

It was rather heartening when the IPR Minister clarified yesterday that the corpus fund had not been used and it is still there, he remarked.

The matter became an issue because a responsible officer acted in a very irresponsible manner, he said.

Most of the officers working in DIPR appeared to be new to their profession.

As such, they have little idea about the systems and practices followed in the department earlier.

Moreover, they don't bother to learn from their seniors, he remarked.

They have little idea about the norms of PIB and the State norms.

Responsible officers of DIPR need to go to retired officers of the department and learn from them, he asserted.

The particular meeting chaired by the IPR Commissioner was also attended by representatives of Editors Guild Manipur as well as many other journalists.

To another query about putting an end to the practice of inviting accredited journalists to key State functions, APO (Press) T Sangeeta claimed that she did not find any such practice in office files, said Bijoy.

But sending invitations to accredited journalists for State functions is a practice incorporated in the PIB norms as well as State norms, pointed out the AMWJU president.

Even concessions are given when accredited journalists put up at Government's guest houses and Manipur Bhavans.

All these norms are unknown to the officers and employees of DIPR who have joined their profession not long ago, Bijoy rued.

He then appealed to all young but responsible officers of DIPR to consult retired senior officers and/or experienced journalists if there are areas with which they are not well acquainted irrespective of whether any system or practice is documented in official files or not.

If the APO(Press) had not stated that the corpus fund for journalist pension scheme had exhausted, there would not have been any misunderstanding between AMWJU and the IPR Minister.

One must enquire if they are ignorant about any matter, Bijoy added.