CM administers oath to newly elected Uttaranchal Press Club Executive
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 9 Jan: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected executive committee of the Uttaranchal Press Club and extended his best wishes to the office-bearers. He described the press club as a powerful platform for strengthening democratic consciousness in Uttarakhand. Addressing the gathering, the CM said the Uttaranchal Press Club has consistently upheld dignity, impartiality and credibility and has earned respect by adhering to high journalistic standards. He observed that journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy as it plays a vital role in holding governments accountable, generating social awareness and keeping the common citizen alert, adding that independent, aware and responsible journalism acts as a strong bridge between the government and the public.
The CM observed that, in the present digital era, the rapid spread of fake news and misleading information through social media has made the role of journalists even more crucial and stressed that unbiased and fact-based reporting is the only effective means to protect society from confusion and misinformation. He praised journalists of Uttarakhand for discharging their duties with courage in challenging circumstances and said the pen of a journalist not only highlights problems but also helps in showing the path to solutions.
Stating that the state government is sensitive to issues faced by journalists, the CM said a number of steps have been taken to ensure their safety, health insurance coverage, emergency assistance and access to housing schemes. He said accredited journalists are being given priority in availing various government schemes and that several senior journalists have been honoured under the Senior Journalist Samman Yojana. He added that journalist pensions have been increased and efforts are being made through the Information Department to facilitate residential arrangements for journalists visiting Dehradun from different districts for professional work.
Dhami disclosed that he personally placed the proposal for the construction of the Uttaranchal Press Club building before the Cabinet, which subsequently approved it and expressed confidence that the building would soon come up as a model facility for journalists. He also announced that the allocation for the Journalist Welfare Fund under the Chief Minister Journalist Pension Scheme has been doubled from Rs 5 crores to Rs 10 crores. Expressing optimism, he said Uttarakhand would carve out a new identity in the field of mass communication, just as it has done in other sectors of development.
The CM shared that the work is underway for the modernisation of media centres and the strengthening of press clubs and added that provisions for establishing and upgrading media centres would also be included in the general budget for 2026–27 so that journalists in other districts could benefit from improved facilities in the coming years.
Reflecting on his personal journey, Dhami said he considers himself indebted to the state and its people and having risen from humble beginnings to the position of CM, he carries a deep sense of responsibility which he remains committed to fulfilling. He asserted that the state government has discharged its responsibilities in the past and will continue to do so with dedication in the future.
Newly elected President Ajay Singh Rana observed that the CM has always shown readiness to work for the welfare of journalists and has taken concrete steps in their interest. He said that the journalists are today contributing significantly not only in the field of journalism but also in various other spheres and he expressed gratitude to the CM for the Cabinet decision approving the construction of the Uttaranchal Press Club building.
During the ceremony, Dhami administered the oath of office and secrecy to President Ajay Singh Rana, Senior Vice President Gajendra Singh Negi, Junior Vice President Soban Singh Gusain, General Secretary Yogesh Semwal, Joint Secretaries Shivesh Sharma and Meena Negi, Treasurer Manish Dangwal, Auditor Vijay Joshi and Executive Members Virendra Dangwal ‘Parth’, Manmohan Lakhera, Rashmi Khatri, Sulochana Payal, Manoj Singh Jayara, Harish Thapliyal, Manbar Singh Rawat, Om Prakash Joshi and Himanshu Joshi.
Among those present on the occasion were MLA Khajan Das, Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal, Dr Devendra Bhasin, DG, Information, Banshidhar Tiwari and several other dignitaries, journalists and representatives of the media fraternity.
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