DIO Pune And PUWJ Jointly Held Workshop To Promote Awareness Of Government Schemes For Journalists
DIO Pune And PUWJ Jointly Held Workshop To Promote Awareness Of Government Schemes For Journalists
Pune, May 29: A workshop on Development Journalism was held at Patrakar Bhavan in Pune, jointly organized by the Divisional Information Office and the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh (Pune Union of Working Journalists). The initiative aimed to inform journalists about various welfare schemes provided by the government, and to ensure broader access and understanding of these benefits among media professionals.
The session witnessed the presence of key dignitaries, including State Accreditation Committee members SM Deshmukh, Swapnil Bapat, Sharad Pable, Deputy Director of Information Dr. Kiran Moghe, Chairman of the Pune Divisional Accreditation Committee Harish Patne, members Sunit Bhave and Chandrasen Jadhav, along with Pune Journalists’ Association Treasurer Shivaji Shinde and General Secretary Meenakshi Gurav.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Kiran Moghe highlighted the importance of development journalism and noted that it revolves around four critical pillars — acknowledging reality, analysis, evaluation, and social responsibility. He emphasized that the Maharashtra government encourages this genre through the Development Journalism Awards , while also ensuring various welfare schemes are made available for working journalists.
Dr. Moghe outlined key initiatives such as the Late Shankarrao Chavan Journalist Welfare Fund, which provides financial assistance between ₹15,000 and ₹1 lakh to accredited journalists and their dependents for medical treatment. Additionally, the Central Government’s Journalist Welfare Scheme supports journalists with at least five years of experience. He also discussed the Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Journalist Honor Scheme and detailed the accreditation guidelines.
SM Deshmukh stressed that a large number of journalists remain unaware of the benefits available to them. He urged the Information Department to publish and distribute a comprehensive guidebook on all schemes. Deshmukh also advocated for similar workshops to be conducted across districts to increase participation and understanding. He highlighted the Journalist Honor Scheme, under which beneficiaries receive a monthly honorarium of ₹11,000 — the highest such payout offered by any state in the country.
Deshmukh further explained the accreditation process, eligibility under senior journalist quotas, and necessary documentation, appreciating the efforts of the Pune Divisional Committee in streamlining the process.
Harish Patne pointed out the information gap among rural journalists, which often prevents them from applying for these benefits. However, he noted that awareness campaigns over the past 18 months have yielded positive results, helping more rural journalists access available schemes. He confirmed that similar workshops will soon be conducted in Satara and other regions.
In his introductory remarks, Sunit Bhave emphasized the importance of equipping journalists with knowledge about government support programs and praised the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh for spearheading the initiative.
The workshop concluded with an interactive session, addressing queries raised by participating journalists. Media representatives from various print and digital platforms attended the event, marking it a productive step towards empowering the press community.
