Chandigarh and Haryana Journalists Union state president Ram Singh Brar, Chairman Balwant Takshak, Chandigarh Press Club President Nalin Acharya and State Secretary Abhishek met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh on Saturday and a demand letter was submitted to him.
Brar and Takshak said that they have sought that the journalists who died during the Corona period should be considered as corona warriors and a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakhs to each bereaved family and government job to the member should be given. "The pension of the journalists should be increased to Rs 20 thousand a month, the rules and regulations of accreditation must be simplified so that the journalists working in towns should also be benefitted," the demand letter said.
They said that the formation of state level accreditation committee is also needed, reducing the age limit of journalists for pension from 60 years to 55 years, journalists before the age of 60 years due to accident, cancer, any incurable disease or in case of death due to unnatural reasons, removing the condition of age limit, giving pension facility to their family, providing pension facility to non-recognized journalists also, providing cashless medical facility cards to all journalists and cashless medical facilities to unrecognized journalists also.
Brar and Takshak said that among other demands of the union, the quota of government accommodation in Chandigarh and Panchkula should be increased for the journalists of Haryana and the journalists working at the district and sub-division level should also be provided government accommodation on the lines of Chandigarh, they added. They said that the allotment of land and plots in sectors or housing board colonies of Urban Development Authority and cooperative housing societies should be taken on priority at the state headquarters, district, sub-division and block headquarters and also eliminate the kilometer limit imposed on the facility of bus travel to recognized journalists within the state. There is also a demand to exempt journalists from toll at toll plazas built on all national highways and to make the advertisement policy of the state government more transparent and to give regular advertisements to small and medium newspapers as well.
