Mysuru: District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa assured the journalists that he would discuss their demand of a separate ‘health fund’ for their fraternity, in the next Budget, with the Chief Minister.

He was speaking after releasing the 2018 calendar brought out by Mysuru Photojournalists Association at Rajendra Bhavan in JSS Hospital here yesterday and said that there are several instances of Bona Fide journalists, who fall sick and unable to meet the hospital expenses. Dr. Mahadevappa was reacting to the suggestion of senior journalist K. Shivakumar and said that he would discuss the issue with the Chief Minister and try to incorporate the idea of ‘Health Fund’ in the coming Budget.

Recalling the demise of journalist Anoop Kumar, who passed away suddenly and expressing his condolence, he said that the suggestion was welcome in such cases and a way would be found to implement it.

Journalist Shivakumar said that the journalists, who work hard day and night, do not have any social security. The words that journalists stitch and the lives they lead hardly match.

“We talk about the differences in the society. But many in our fraternity are living in miserable conditions as there is no job guarantee. Five prominent journalists have lost their lives in the recent past. The Government should ruminate on this. In the next Budget at least Rs. 10 crore must be earmarked for the ‘Health Fund’ for journalists,” he said.

JSS Mahavidyapeetha Secretary S.P. Manjunath, MUDA Chairman D. Dhruvakumar, Nanjangud MLA Kalale Keshavamurthy and others were present on the occasion.

The photos of Pragathi Gopalakrishna, Anurag Basavaraj, K.H. Chandru, S.R. Madhusudhan, M.N. Lakshminarayana Yadav,  S. Udayshankar, Hampa Nagaraj, A. Nandan, J.K. Nishanth, G.K. Hegde, Nani Hebbal and Irshad Ahmed have been featured in this year’s calendar.