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JFA lauds SC push for media employees

By Nava Thakuria |

Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) appreciates the initiatives taken by the apex court of the country for providing due benefits to the media employees belonged to all newspapers & news-agencies under the recommendations of Justice GR Majithia Wage Board.

In its latest direction, the Supreme Court (of India) on 28 April 2015 asked all State governments ‘to appoint an officer within four weeks to conduct a survey on the implementation of Majitha Wage Board Award’. The apex court also directed the governments to submit a report in this respect within three months.

The JFA has urged Assam government to act sincerely on the matter and help thousands of media employees of the State to get their due benefits under the statutory wage board recommendations. Commending the Assam Tribune group for implementing the latest wage board guidelines, the JFA also demanded similar benefits to the employees of privately owned television channels across the country.

In another matter, the JFA expressed shock that an Arunachal Pradesh based journalist and the editor of Arunachal Front (Pradeep Kumar Behera) was physically attacked by miscreants on 21 April last at Naharlagun near Itanagar. The Arunachal police are yet to arrest anybody even after ten days passed after the incident.

“We demand the culprits (who were involved in the attack on Pradeep Kumar) must be booked under the law before it is too late,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria.

The Arunachal media fraternity, various civil society groups and also the State chief minister Nabam Tuki have already condemned the incident. Presently undergoing treatments at Arya Hospital in Guwahati, Pradeep Kumar is fast recovering following timely medical intervention, added the statement.

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