Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that the budget of the Journalist Welfare Fund in Uttarakhand will be increased from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore.
As per the information received from Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office (CMO), journalists will now be given accreditation by the state government at the tehsil level as well.
Earlier, on January 4, while speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected executive of Uttaranchal Press Club at IRDT Auditorium, Dehradun, Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "Journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy. It also works to make our citizens aware of their rights. And an independent and fearless journalism also acts as a bridge between the government and the public. Whether it is to inform the public about various government schemes, to provide them benefits or to convey their problems to the government. The responsibility of both these things rests very strongly on the shoulders of all of you. I am happy that all of you are fulfilling this important responsibility with great hard work, great loyalty, full dedication and commitment..."
CM Dhami also expressed grief over the sudden demise of journalist Girish Bhandari and said that journalism world has lost a hardworking collegue. His contribution will always be remembered, he added.