New Delhi: Vijay Shankar Chaturvedi, President of the Accredited Journalists Association (Regd.), has called on the Delhi Government to expedite decisions on the long-pending demands of accredited journalists. He emphasized that journalists act as a crucial bridge between the government and citizens, and as the fourth pillar of democracy, their welfare, social security, and professional needs deserve priority attention.
Chaturvedi noted that despite the Association submitting multiple representations to the government, the proposal for a cashless medical treatment facility for accredited journalists remains pending. He appealed to the Delhi Government to implement a cashless healthcare scheme for accredited journalists and their dependents across all government hospitals as well as empanelled private hospitals, ensuring that they are not burdened with financial hardships during medical emergencies.
He also emphasized the need to introduce a pension scheme for senior journalists. According to him, several states across the country provide a monthly pension ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 to journalists above the age of 60, while senior accredited journalists in Delhi continue to be deprived of this benefit. He urged the government to introduce a monthly pension of ₹20,000 for senior accredited journalists in the national capital.
Expressing concern over the delay in constituting the Delhi Accreditation Committee, Chaturvedi said that the committee has not been formed for the past two years, resulting in a large number of accreditation applications remaining pending. This, he added, has caused unnecessary difficulties for journalists in carrying out their professional responsibilities. He called upon the government to constitute the committee without further delay and ensure the speedy disposal of all pending applications.
Speaking on the issue related to welfare of journalists , Chaturvedi said, “Journalists play a crucial role in strengthening democracy and amplifying the voice of public interest to society and the government. Issues concerning their healthcare, social security, pension, and accreditation deserve timely resolution and should remain a priority for the government. We are confident that the Delhi Government will take a positive decision at the earliest and implement these long-pending demands in the interest of the journalistic community.”
