Govt commited to the welfare of journalists: Minister

Vijayawada, Nov 9 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy today said the State Government had decided to use 2.5 per cent of the amount paid to media houses as advertisements for welfare of the journalists.

Speaking after inaugurating the golden jubilee celeberations of Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ), the minister said in this connection two meetings had been conducted with managements of print media. But, there was no response from them and the government would take a decision on its own during the course of time.

Mr Reddy said the government had implemented several schemes like Rajiv Arogya Sri Medical Insurance scheme and others for the welfare of the journalists.

The government had also sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the journalists' welfare fund which was in addition to the existing fund of Rs 50 lakh, he said adding the journalists awards, which was stopped by the erstwhile TDP government, had been revived since 2004. A GO would be issued shortly in this regard, he added.

Based on an appeal from journalists unions the Government had set up a State Accreditation Commission and also a high power committee to identify the real journalists in the state, he said.

Appealing to the journalists unions to mount pressure on their respective managements to address their problems instead of bringing pressure on the government he said the government was commited to the welfare of the journalists and non-journalists.

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