Phulbani,9।9(Sunil Pattnaik):A core committee meeting of the Kandhamal District Journalists Coordination Committee was held on Wednesday at the District Press Club in Phulbani. Presided over by senior journalist and committee president Sunil Pattnaik, general secretary Prashant Kumar Behera briefed the attendees on the goals and objectives of the association.Formed with experienced journalists from all blocks of the district, this district-level committee will work to protect the interests of working journalists. Discussions centred on key demands, including: Journalist Safety: Ensuring full security for all working journalists. Pension Scheme: Providing a monthly pension of at least ₹20,000 for retired journalists above 60 years of age. Land Allotment: Allocating at least 4 cents of land to homeless journalists. Health Insurance Expansion: Continuing the Gopabandhu Health Insurance scheme, raising the cover amount to ₹10 lakh, and extending coverage to include journalists’ parents.District representative for Sambad Dr. Ranjan Kumar Pradhan, working president Sunil Biswal, vice presidents Santosh Kumar Das and Ajit Maharana and organizing Secretary Sujit Behera spoke at the event, emphasizing the need to keep the organization active and drive efforts toward achieving these goals.Key Decisions & Next Steps:Block coordinators will submit a list of active and experienced journalists from their respective areas. A follow-up meeting to finalize the charter of demands will take place in Phulbani on the 23rd of this month. A memorandum will subsequently be submitted to the Chief Minister and the Governor through the District Collector.Organizing secretary Sujit Kumar Behera delivered the vote of thanks. The meeting saw participation from block coordinators across Phiringia, Gochhapada, Kotagarh, Tumudibandha, Balliguda, G. Udayagiri, K. Nuagaon, Chakapada, Raikia and Khajuripada, alongside senior journalists Ashok Mohanty, Shiba Biswal, Trinath Sahoo, Surya Narayan Behera, and Baidyanath Behera.
