Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: The Press Club of Jammu (PCJ) has urged the State Government to launch cashless insurance scheme for media persons in Jammu and Kashmir, on the pattern of similar welfare scheme, initiated by the neighbouring Punjab Government for journalists there.
President Press Club of Jammu, Ashwani Kumar, while lauding the step taken by Punjab’s Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, said that Punjab Government has shown the commitment towards Journalists and has taken a historic decision to launch a cashless insurance scheme for the media fraternity besides making various important provisions for the media in the Budget 2016-17.
“The J&K Government should take a cue from this decision and announce similar scheme here,” he said and added that such initiatives would further improve the working conditions of journalists in State. “Journalists in Jammu and Kashmir are working in adverse conditions and being a militancy hit State, journalists here need such commitments from Government for their security”, he added.
Ashwani Kumar informed that Press Club of Jammu has already approached the State Government and submitted a comprehensive plan for the working and accredited Journalists like Journalist Welfare Scheme Fund, Medical Insurance Schemes, Accident Insurance and Pension Schemes for Journalists but no action has yet been taken from Government side.
Punjab Government has already announced accidental insurance up to Rs 5 lakh for the accredited and recognized journalists, which gives journalists a sense of security, he added.
Zorawar Singh Jamwal, Secretary General PCJ, elaborated that Punjab Government has provided insurance scheme up to Rs. 3 lakhs of medical facilities for the family members of the 3480 accredited and recognized journalists on the pattern of Government employees and pensioners. Urging the State Government to give similar cashless insurance scheme to journalists in J&K, Zorawar Singh added that under this scheme the family members of the journalists should also be covered.
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