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SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 27, 2024: The Meghalaya State Government approved the Meghalaya Journalists Welfare Scheme,2024 today. Addressing media persons after the cabinet meeting, Minister in charge of Information & Public Relations Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “It shall now become operational, and we are happy. We will keep informing the press fraternity about the various components of this particular welfare scheme.”
She said that the government will roll out the implementation process of the scheme with effect from December 1, this year. She also said that it has been a long-requested facility by the press fraternity.
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“There are already components of the journalist welfare scheme similar to the previous year’s journalists’ welfare scheme. For example, before this, we had a journalist welfare scheme of just Rs 1 lakh for the loss of a journalist’s life. Certain rules need to be conformed to avail this facility. So, what we are saying here is that Rs 1 lakh in this generation, is inadequate. We have up-scaled it to Rs 5 lakhs. Now in terms of medical treatment, journalists facing acute health problems were given an opportunity of availing only Rs 50,000 in the previous scheme. So now we have upscaled this to Rs 3 lakhs,” the minister stated.
Lyngdoh informed that a committee constituted by the government to look into the implementation of the scheme will decide on the modalities of the operation of the journalist welfare scheme.
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The minister said, “We are also very concerned about the registered accredited journalists, who need attention and who need assistance because of the yeoman service that they have engaged with for all of their journalist life. So therefore, we will leave it to the wisdom of the committee to take a call. We are looking at a support fund for veteran journalists, who are seeking to receive this fund.”
“Modalities of this are all chalked out. We are looking at the practices that are there in other States, and we will replicate positive practices but I hope that the press fraternity is jubilant about this because this is a long demand that you have put before governments in the past, it is only now that we are finally in agreement, we have received cabinet approval to go ahead with this particular scheme, “she added.
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