CM KCR announces welfare measures for journalists

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday announced a slew of welfare measure for journalists in the State including allocation of Rs 10 crore in every Budget, Rs one lakh to families of journalists who died, monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for a period of five years to the families of deceased and Rs 1,000 per month for education of two children if they are studying in classes lower than 10th standard.

At a meeting to review journalists’ welfare at Pragathi Bhavan, the Chief Minister said the government would also give overseas scholarship to children of journalists studying abroad. “We will also extend assistance to journalists pursuing courses abroad,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that besides helping journalists who die, the government will also help journalists who fall sick. “I will personally meet family members of



journalists’ who are deceased at Pragathi Bhavan on February 17 and directly hand over help,” he said.

“Telangana is the first State in the country to initiate such welfare measures. In the last two State budgets, we allocated Rs 10 crore and we will allocate Rs 10 crore in the present budget also. With this money, we will take up welfare programme for journalists through the Press Academy,” he said.

The Chief Minister entrusted the job of identifying house sites for journalists in Hyderabad to IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao.Besides Rama Rao, Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Advisor K V Ramanachary, Principal Secretary S Narsing Rao, Press Academy Chairman Allam Narayana, Ranga Reddy District Collector Raghunandan Rao, Senior Journalists Kranti, Palle Ravi, Budha Murali and Satish participated in the meeting.