Ray demands health insurance, pensions for scribes in Odisha

Senior BJP leader Dilip Ray today asked Odisha government to immediately make provision of health insurance and pension facilities for journalists working in the state.
Ray made this demand after Information and Public Relations Minister Atanu S Nayak informed the Assembly that the state government was taking steps to implement health insurance for scribes.
The minister said this while replying a written question of Ray, the BJP MLA of Rourkela, and ruling BJD member Debasis Nayak. The duo wanted to know what steps the government has so far taken for implementation of the health insurance and pension for journalists working in both print and electronic media.

Nayak said in his reply that the previous government had announced health insurance for scribes. However, it was taking steps for implementation of the health insurance scheme.
Ray, however, expressed wonder over the state government taking about 14 months to implement the health insurance facility for journalists. "This is unfortunate that the government could not implement its own decision in a span of 14 months," Ray said outside the assembly.