31 ailing journalists of Assam get financial aid from govt

Assam government today handed over financial assistance to 31 ailing journalists under the Journalists' Welfare Medical Fund here.
People in government jobs enjoy financial security, but journalists who collect and disseminate information are devoid of financial security, the chief minister's Media Advisor Hrishikesh Goswami said.
"The Fund is an effort on the part of the Chief Minister to expedite the government's initiatives towards the welfare of the journalists of the state," Goswami said while handing over cheques to the journalists.
He said this is not a favour show to the scribes but it is the duty of the government.
The state government, in consultation with various journalists associations, will formulate more welfare schemes for the benefits of the journalists in near future, he said.

Altogether 31 ailing journalists from across the state were given Rs 9,72,343 today.
A corpus fund to the tune of Rs 3 crore has been created for the purpose and a sum of Rs 70 lakh has already been disbursed so far to 150 journalists under the scheme.