CM rolls out welfare schemes for journalists community

Hyderabad: In a first, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday announced a slew of welfare measure for the journalist community, including Rs 60 crore in budgetary allocations.

Addressing families of 69 deceased journalists after distributing cheques of Rs 1 lakh to each of them at Pragathi Bhavan, Rao said the State government allocated Rs 10 crore each in the past two budgets since 2014. “In the coming State Budget, we will allocate Rs 30 crore in addition to the annual allocation of Rs 10 crore,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility to ensure the welfare of the 20,000-odd journalists in the State.

He also handed over a cheque of Rs



10 lakh to the family of senior journalist Harikrishna Reddy who is to undergo heart transplant and Rs four lakh to the family of sports journalist Srinivasulu who died recently.

The announcement was made during the first Janahitha programme as part of Rao’s 63rd birthday celebrations. He also announced assistance of Rs 3 lakh towards marriage of girl children of journalists. Other welfare measures include 2BHK houses for journalists in districts, quota for their children in residential schools, scholarships for higher studies abroad, Rs 3,000 monthly pension to families of deceased journalists for five years and Rs 2,000 for education of two children per family.