Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today expressed concern regarding job loss and random retrenchment of the working journalists and said that her government would bring a statutory law so that a job guarantee is given to the journos in the state.Inaugurating the Press Club, Kolkata platinum jubilee celebration at the club complex, Ms Banerjee suggested the club itself can draft and give it to the government’s concerned department for study before tabling the bill for legislation. She also announced the second list of 69 retired journos approved for monthly pension of Rs 2500. The first list of 30 such beneficiaries was announced in December 2018. The Mamata Banerjee government early last year had announced pension scheme of rs 2500 for retired accredited journos.
Ms Banerjee also donated 3.5 cottas of land for press club, Kolkata permanent building at Nonadanga on EM Bypass. Besides, another 10 cottas of land at Rajarhat for building complex for journos. She said even the government can assist the press club in getting loans from cooperative banks. CM also donated Rs 100,001 to Press Club, Kolkata from her personal earnings from books royalty. She also donated Rs 100 000 to Sarmista Hazra, whose journo husband Arnab Hazra recently committed suicide due to abject poverty. The state government also announced to bear all expenditure for schooling of two daughters of the late journo.Earlier, Club president Snehashis Sur and secretary Kingshuk Pramanik greeted the CM, who came along with Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Firhad Hakim and power minister Shobhondeb Chatterjee. (UNI)
