Journalists Association of Assam demands hike in scribes' pension, advertisement rates

GUWAHATI: An important executive meeting of the Journalists Association of Assam (JAA) was held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of the president and eminent journalist Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty.

JAA's general secretary Dalim Phukan presented a report at the meeting with the objectives. Bhupen Goswami, chief advisor to JAA and national vice president of National Union of Journalists India, explained the various problems being faced in the media in recent times and urged journalists to work with ethics with utmost dedication.

During the meeting, Mayukh Goswami, Sandeep Sharma, Pranjal Bordoloi, Sunil Bora, Manas Pratim Hazarika, Sudip Sharma Chowdhury, Kumar Nripendra Rajbanshi, Paramananda Deka, Geeta Saharia, Trishna Dal Pegu, Pooja Sharma, Geetimalika Rabha and Sabin Deka gave various suggestions for the welfare of journalists and the media on the basis of their own experiences.

The executive meeting adopted a series of resolutions discussing the burning issues of journalists and the media. With the price of printing materials, including newsprint, rising by 100 percent, including GST, the terrible problems faced by the newspaper groups were discussed in detail in the meeting.

On the other hand, JAA has expressed deep concern over the non-increase in government advertisement rates since 2014 and a resolution was adopted demanding the government to increase the rate of this advertisement by one hundred per cent. Besides, a resolution was adopted demanding setting up of media councils to monitor the affairs of media and journalists, enactment of the Protection of Journalists Act, extension of corpus fund of Journalists' Welfare Fund of Assam to Rs 100 crore, increase of journalist pension to Rs 20,000 and pension to 30 journalists every year.

A unanimous resolution was also passed to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Minister for Information and Public Relations and Parliamentary Affairs, Pijush Hazarika in this regard.

The meeting decided to hold the 14th State Conference of JAA and North East Journalists Meet as well as a journalists' workshop in Guwahati in the second week of February, 2023.

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