Valpoi: The state government will introduce a pension scheme for full-time rural journalists, who have completed 50 years of age,
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said this at the Patrakar Din 2026 programme at Ravindra Bhavan, Sankhali.
Sawant also said the government would introduce special welfare schemes for senior journalists, under which eligible journalists would be able to avail of a 50 per cent subsidy for purchasing laptops, professional cameras, mobile phones and electric (EV) two-wheelers, subject to prescribed eligibility criteria.
“Do not just report what is pleasing; report what is true,” Sawant said, calling upon journalists to uphold the highest standards of the profession.
He said the primary responsibility of the media was to report verified facts without bias and maintain the trust of the people.
Sawant said rural journalists had played a vital role in bringing grassroots issues to the notice of the government, ensuring that the voices of villages were heard. He said misinformation spread rapidly in the digital and social media age, making ethical and responsible journalism important.
He urged journalists to verify information before publication and play a constructive role in guiding society through accurate, balanced and fact-based reporting.
The programme was organised jointly by Ravindra Bhavan, Sankhali, and the Akhil Goa Gramin Patrakar Sangh.
All rural journalists and their family members were felicitated at the hands of Sawant during the programme.
Director of Information and Publicity Abhir Hede, Sawant’s wife Sulakshana Sawant, Member Secretary of Ravindra Bhavan, Sankhali, Ishwar Madkaikar, journalists and other dignitaries were present.
