Odisha Government Assures Action on Journalist Protection Law and Pension Demands

04 Jun 2026, 10:15 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Odisha’s Minister of Higher Education, Sports & Youth Services, Odia Language, Literature, and Culture, Suryabanshi Suraj, said the state government is taking journalists long-standing demands seriously. At a joint event in Bhadrak, Suraj told the crowd that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi understands the real challenges facing media professionals and supports the introduction of social security measures to protect them. He promised to take up these issues with the Chief Minister and senior officials for concrete action.

Journalists, through Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ) state president Prasanna Kumar Mohanty, pushed hard for resolution on several persistent issues. At the core, they’re asking for a special law to shield media persons from threats, harassment, and false charges. They also want pension benefits for journalists over 60, along with the immediate revival of the state press accreditation committee, which has been inactive for over 18 years.

In his speech, Suraj raised concerns about the growing influence of TRP-driven journalism. He made it clear that Odisha needs more constructive, development-based, and ethical reporting. The event—combining the OUJ’s state executive meeting and the Bhadrak District Journalists’ Union (BUJ) annual function—brought together over 500 journalists from all over the state. It featured organizational reviews, strategy planning, and honored veteran journalists and social workers for their service to society.