GUWAHATI, March 24 � Ten different organizations of journalists and newspaper employees of the State on Wednesday demanded of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to ensure implementation of the wage board recommendations in all newspaper houses at the earliest.
The organizations also called for effecting the tripartite working committee for the purpose besides bringing the mofussil journalists under the ambit of the wage board.
The organizations, Assam Tribune Employees� Union, Sangbadik Karma Parishad, Journalists� Union of Assam, Asom Bartajibi Sangha, Assam Press Correspondents� Union, Assam Photo Journalists� Association, Journalists� Federation of Assam, Journalists� Forum, Assam, National Federation of Newspaper Employees, and All India Newspaper Employees� Federation staged a sit-in demonstration at Dispur Last Gate demanding their rights and protesting against the indifference of the authorities concerned towards resolving the genuine grievances of the journalists and non-journalists.
At the demonstration site, the organizations shared their concern over the lack of economic and social security of journalists and non-journalists and pointed out that though the government had assured to compensate the family of the journalists and non- journalists killed while on duty, this promise was yet to be fulfilled. So far more than 20 journalists and non-journalists have been killed in the State and the killers are yet to be identified and booked.
The organizations reminded the government that it had promised to nab the killers of journalist Anil Mazumdar within a week, but even after a year, the promise had remained a promise. They demanded compensation to the families of the journalists and non- journalists killed by miscreants and insisted that the killers be nabbed immediately and punished.
On the other hand, the organizations also expressed concern over the soaring prices of all essential commodities including food items which has hit the common people hard, and urged the government to take necessary measures to check price rise.