JKAJA hails pension demand by Tanvir Sadiq for retired journalists

Jammu, Feb 19: Jammu and Kashmir Accredited Journalists Association (JKAGA) president Ashwani Kumar has hailed the demand for a pension scheme for retired journalists raised by Tanvir Sadiq, MLA from Zadibal assembly constituency and chief spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in Jammu.

In a statement issued here, Ashwani Kumar said that Tanvir Sadiq, while participating in debate in the House on February 18, rightly understood and shared the plight of retired journalists who worked tirelessly to strengthen democracy in the country with the might of the pen.

Ashwani Kumar said that senior journalists dedicated decades of their lives to upholding democratic values, often working under challenging and risky conditions, and deserved social security after retirement.

He pointed out that most states and Union Territories across the country were already providing monthly pensions to senior journalists who completed 20 years of service and attained the age of 58 years, on the pattern of corporate sector norms.

He said that states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh were providing monthly pensions ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 to eligible senior journalists.

Similarly, smaller states and Union Territories such as Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Tripura and Uttarakhand were also extending monthly pensions between Rs 8,000 and Rs 15,000 to retired journalists.

Ashwani Kumar emphasised that the number of retired senior journalists in Jammu and Kashmir was very small and, therefore, the financial burden on the Union Territory’s exchequer would not be significant.

He urged all political parties, including the BJP, Congress, People’s Conference and independent legislators, to rise above party lines and collectively press for the implementation of a pension scheme for retired journalists in Jammu and Kashmir.