Mysore/Mysuru: Mayor Shivakumar said that ‘Arogya Suraksha Nidhi’ set up by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) for journalists will be raised from the current Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh. He was speaking at the programme organised by the MCC to felicitate the award-winning Journalists from Mysuru, at the MCC office premises here on Friday.

Pointing out that Mysuru district has made a own mark in Journalism, Shivakumar lauded the involvement and efforts of Mysuru Journalists during the COVID pandemic, while risking their own health and safety.

Recalling that Mysuru is home to many top journalists like Agaram Rangaiah, Venkatakrishnaiah, M.N. Thimmaiah, A. Ramanna, K. Ramanna, Venkatram etc., he said that Mysuru has the credit of contributing to the freedom struggle through a  good number of small newspapers in the pre-independence days.

“The Media, like the other three pillars of democracy — Executive, Judiciary and Legislature — has a great responsibility in the country’s growth and prosperity. Mysuru Journalists and Newspapers have made a significant contribution for overall development of Mysuru, by coming up with their own plans and ideas. The media has a special place in the society for all its hardwork in informing and educating the public”, he said and called upon scribes to follow the path laid down by outstanding personalities of the field from Mysuru such as S. Pattabhiraman and      Krishna Vattam.

Underlining the role of Journalists in correcting the wrongs of the society, he observed that though the Print Media had to face the onslaught of the electronic media, it has survived on its own strength and has continued to serve the society  with new vigour.

Noting that the print media has been successful in retaining readers, he said that people’s trust in newspapers has not diminished as the news published in them are factual in nature.

Maintaining that the MCC would continue to consider constructive suggestions from the media in respect of development, he said that the Government has come up with various welfare measures for scribes, including pension and bus pass facilities.

Stating that this is for the first ever time that the MCC has felicitated award-winning Journalists, he called upon Journalists to make good use of all Government schemes and initiatives meant for them.

Karnataka Media Academy awardees of the district G. Shivaprasad, K.B. Ramesh Nayak, Nagesh Panathale, Mullur Raju and K.P. Nagaraj; Karnataka Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) awardees Avinash Jainahalli and M.N. Lakshminarayana Yadav; National Wildlife Photography award winner S.R. Madhusudan, Mysuru District Journalists Association (MDJA) President S.T. Ravikumar and General Secretary M. Subramanya (MDJA has bagged Best District Association Award from KUWJ) were felicitated on the occasion.

Deputy  Mayor Dr. G. Roopa, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, Corporators Prema Shankaregowda, SBM  Manju, Ashwini Ananthu, B.V. Manjunath, K.J. Jagadish, Pallavi Begum, Vedavathi, Chayadevi, Ramesh, Satyaraju and others were present.