Bhubaneswar, 7th Oct 2025: “I stand with the demands of journalists,” said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, assuring that appropriate decisions will be taken at the right time regarding their issues. On Monday, during a meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, a delegation from the Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ) met the Chief Minister to discuss the concerns of journalists.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that the demands raised—pension, protection, and accreditation—are valid. He urged journalists to have faith in the government, reiterating that a timely decision would be made on these matters.
Memorandum Submitted with Key Demands
The OUJ delegation, led by President Prasanna Mohanty, submitted a memorandum outlining three major demands. The memorandum also included a comparative analysis of pension schemes available to journalists in other states, drawing the Chief Minister’s attention to Odisha’s relative position.
The delegation included OUJ General Secretary Kambupani Mishra, national executive members Akshaya Sahu, Abhaya Pati, and senior member Parikshit Biswal, among others.
Protest and Solidarity in Support of Demands
In line with earlier declarations, OUJ had also staged a mass protest in front of PMG Square near the Odisha Assembly, demanding action on pension, protection, and accreditation for journalists. Over 500 journalists from 30 district units participated in the demonstration.
The protest received cross-party support, including from senior Congress leader and MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, BJD MLAs Arun Sahu, Ananta Narayan Jena, Sanjib Kumar Mallick, Romanch Ranjan Biswal, Sharada Ratha Jena, Pradeep Sahu, Madhab Dhadha, Dr. Rupanesh Panigrahi, and others.
Prominent Journalists in the Delegation
The journalist delegation also included:
Senior journalist Ravi Das
OUJ Vice President Rajesh Pattnaik
National executive members Kishan Raut, Pramod Samantray
Editor Prasanna Paikaray
Treasurer Amulya Swain
Coordinators Santosh Sindhe, Debaprasad Das, Badrinarayan Mishra, Aditya Mekap, Rupesh Sahu, and Ramanarayan Satpathy, among others.
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