Small newspapers will get advertisement every two months. Journalists above 70 years of age will get accreditation card. Women journalists will get fellowship to study women welfare works. These announcements were made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at foundation laying ceremony for state-of-the-art media centre at Bhopal on Tuesday. Chouhan said that journalists act as bridge between the society and the government. Journalists are the voice of the people. Journalism is a religion. They do their job risking their lives even in adverse situations, flood, earthquake etc. The State Media Center would bring hopes. Minister for Public Relations Rajendra Shukla and Commissioner Public Relations Manish Singh were present on the occasion. Chief Minister Chouhan announced to issue advertisements to small newspapers once every two months and to provide permanent accreditation card to journalists above 70 years of age. Every year five women journalists will be provided fellowship to study on women’s development works. Chief Minister Chouhan said that journalists are the voice of the society. They have invaluable contribution to make for nation building. Chouhan said that journalists and journalism are the life of democracy. Pandit Makhanlal Chaturvedi from Madhya Pradesh became the pioneer of journalism. There were satirists like Harishankar Parsai who wrote on social issues. Late Vedpratap Vaidik worked for the honour of Hindi. Late Prabhash Joshi coined a new language. There was a time when journalists participated in the freedom movement and worked to end slavery. Journalists also fought against emergency. Journalists fulfilled their responsibilities during the difficult times of Covid. Journalists are also social workers, they have such a relationship with social concerns, like the relationship between the body and soul.

 

Media center will become Gurukul for journalism students: Chouhan said that today in the era of electronic and social media, there is a crisis of credibility at some places. The Chief Minister expressed hope that the State Media Center will become the center of interaction, communication with journalists. This center will become a Gurukul for journalism students. This center will utilise the experiences of seniors and the energy of youth. It will also cherish the memories of the old building. Chouhan also remembered the pioneer journalists who laid the foundation of Patrakar Bhawan and also shared his experiences of meeting journalists and organising press conferences in this era at Patrakar Bhawan. He said that on September 7, he had made an announcement regarding the media center. Now the journalists will enter this premises in the form of this media center with the memories of the previous media building. The dream of reconstructing Patrakar Bhawan will be fulfilled. Chief Minister Chouhan congratulated the journalists who had come from all over the state on the foundation laying ceremony of the State Media Centre. Providing plots to journalists being considered: Public Relations Minister Shukla: Public Relations Minister Rajendra Shukla said that journalists work to make democracy a boon. They should get basic facilities. Chief Minister Chouhan has given the state the identity of a rapidly developing state by ending the identity of being a sick state. Madhya Pradesh is joining the developed states. From time to time he has taken steps in the interest of all sections.

 

Chief Minister Chouhan also implemented health insurance scheme for journalists, which provided relief to many families. On September 7, in a press conference held at the Chief Minister’s residence, it was announced that along with the opening of the State Media Center, plots will be provided to journalists at the district level. Steps have been taken to provide plots to journalists in the districts. Public Relations Department officers will also be given the benefit of pending annual salary hike to officers and new assistant directors who have been eligible for the charge of higher posts for a long time. Samman Nidhi for senior journalists Chief Minister Chouhan today symbolically presented hiked Samman Nidhi to 10 senior journalists of the state in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the State Media Centre. It is noteworthy that instead of Rs 10,000 per month, an amount of Rs 20,000 is now being paid by the Public Relations Department under the Samman Nidhi.

 

Chouhan presented the Samman Nidhi to the senior journalists of the state in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the State Media Center, among them were Vijay Dutt Shridhar Bhopal, Om Prakash Farkya Indore, Parmanand Tiwari Jabalpur, Dev Shrimali Gwalior, Anjani Kumar Shastri Rewa, Rajendra Purohit Ujjain, Siddh Gopal Tiwari Sagar, Kamlesh Singh Parihar Chambal, Pankaj Pateria Narmadapuram and Ramavtar Gupta Shahdol. The stage programme started with Kanya Puja. Chouhan also honoured senior journalists by presenting them saplings. A short film focusing on the features of the State Media Center and the welfare of journalists was also screened. Chouhan met and interacted with print media, electronic media, social media journalists, TV camera persons and press photographers who had come from the districts of the state. Chouhan had the meal with the journalists. How would State Media Center look like? State Media Centre will be constructed in Bhopal at a cost of Rs 28 crore. This will be a media centre with all facilities. The construction agency in this center is Madhya Pradesh Building Development Corporation.