Members in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday made a strong demand for implementation of the recommendations of the Justice Majithia wage boards for working journalists and nonjournalists without further delay.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Manish Tewari (Cong) pointed out that a large number of journalists and non-journalists were agitating across the country demanding speedy implementation of the wage boards recommendations that were made three months back.
“If we really want to empower journalists serious cognisance should be given to their demands and the wage boards recommendations should be implemented forthwith with effect from January 2008,” Tewari said.
He noted that the wage boards, headed by Justice G R Majithia, to review the salaries of journalists and non-journalists was set up in 2007.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, Ramkripal Yadav (RJD) regretted that the government is yet to implement the recommendations though the wage board submitted its report to the government in December last year.
“It is unfortunate that the government has not done anything on it,” he said, pointing out that employees of newspapers and news agencies were holding a rally in the national capital today protesting the delay.
Noting that media personnel are agitated over the delay, he demanded that the recommendations should be implemented immediately.
Rudranarayan Pany (BJP) sought a response from Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, who was present in the House.
Shantaram Naik (Cong) wanted to know what was coming in the way of early implementation of the recommendations of the wage boards.
Ali Anwar Ansari (JD-U) said such “cruelty” should not be meted out to mediapersons and demanded that the government should make an announcement regarding its implementation today itself.
The recommendations of the wage boards were submitted to the government in December 2010. The wage boards passed five resolutions for re-classification of newspapers, payment of arrears from January 8, 2008, increase in annual increment rate and hike in House Rent Allowance.
