Journalists want risk cover

SHILLONG: A delegation of the Meghalaya Electronic Media Association (MEMA) on Tuesday met Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and urged him to implement a risk insurance scheme, besides extending all welfare schemes to working video and print journalists instead of limiting them to accredited journalists.
Stressing on the implementation of the risk insurance scheme for journalists, MEMA said it is important so that their families do not suffer economically if “something wrong” happens to them.
They also reminded the Chief Minister about the attacks on journalists and cameramen belonging to different TV Channels in 2005, 2014 and 2015 and the incident where a cameraman died in an accident at Paikan in Assam last year.
MEMA President Kyrmelang Uriah also informed the Chief Minister on the delay in taking legal action against those responsible for the crime and urged for compensation to journalists.
Meanwhile, MEMA supported the demands of the MEPA to enhance the corpus of Journalist Welfare Fund and that it should not be made into a onetime assistance.
The Association also urged the Government to implement the health insurance scheme for journalists besides implementing the pension scheme, speeding up of the advertisement policy, creating a single window agency in the Directorate of Information and Public Relations for clearance of advertisement bills.
The Association also asked the Government to set up media centres with internet facilities in all the district headquarters.