Manipur: Financial Assistance Provided to Six Media Persons

Guwahati: Six Media persons of Manipur received financial assistance under the Manipur State Journalists Welfare Scheme (MSJWS). Recognising the immense contribution of the Media persons, this scheme was launched by the government as an important programme of the new government’s 100 days

The media who received the assistance are (Late) N Gitchandra Singh of Manipur Mail, V Khamkhanthang of Manipur Express (one time ex-gratia Rs two lakh each), Ph Santosh, photo journalist, Y Mangi Ningthouja of Pandam Daily (medical assistance Rs one lakh each) and K Rajen Meetei of Liklam Journal and Late K Bipin Sharma of Impact TV (medical assistance Rs 50,000 each).

According to Directorate of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) sources in Imphal, so far 10 media persons have availed financial assistance under the MSJWS scheme which came into existence after the contribution of Rs 10 crores towards its corpus fund on May 5, 2017.

A journalist to be eligible for relief from the scheme, has to be a citizen of India, ordinarily resident of Manipur besides being accredited to the Government of Manipur and journalists who are not presently accredited to the Government are eligible for relief from the scheme if they have been journalists as defined under the guidelines for a minimum period of ten continuous years.

The cheques were handed over to the beneficiaries and their family members by Manipur Information and Public Relations Minister Th Biswajit at his official residence in Imphal on Wednesday.

IPR Director H Balkrisna Singh, Assistant Publicity Officer (Press) T Sangeeta and other DIPR staffs also attended the day’s programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Th Biswajit said, that the Government has always acknowledged the important role played by the media and media persons despite various hardships and challenges faced by them while discharging their duties.

“The important role played by the fourth estate in a democracy is necessary more than ever in the globalized world of media,” he said.

The Minister also condoled the sudden demise of K Bipin Sharma of Impact TV and other media persons. He said that it is a great loss for the media fraternity and the State and further stated that ex-gratia for the deceased journalist will be handed soon after due process.

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