Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court (HC) has granted the state government three months to take a policy decision on a monthly pension scheme for journalists aged 60 years and above, observing that the matter is under active consideration, sources said Saturday.
Justice SK Panigrahi passed the order while hearing a contempt petition filed by the Senior Journalists’ Association of Odisha (SJAO), which alleged non-compliance with the court’s earlier direction to decide on its representation seeking a pension for veteran journalists, UNI reported.
The contempt petition was filed after the government failed to comply with the HC’s order dated April 30, 2025, which directed it to dispose of the association’s representation by passing a lawful order within two months. The association contended that despite the expiry of the stipulated period, the state government had taken no concrete steps to address the long-pending demand for a pension scheme, which it described as an essential social security measure for retired journalists.
During the hearing, the state submitted that the proposal involved wider policy implications and required careful examination before a final decision could be taken. Referring to an order issued by the I&PR department August 2, 2025, the state informed the HC that the government acknowledged the concerns raised by the association and was “fully sensitive to the aspirations of the journalist community”. It, however, maintained that the proposal required careful consideration of various administrative, financial and policy factors.
The state counsel further submitted that since the matter pertained to a government policy decision and was under active consideration, at least three months’ time was required to take an appropriate decision on bringing senior journalists in the state under the proposed pension scheme.
Recording the state’s assurance, the HC observed that the matter involved policy considerations and accepted the request for additional time. Observing that the matter is under active consideration, the HC said, in its order, “In view of the assurance given by counsel for the state, this court grants three months’ time to enable the state government to take appropriate decisions on granting pension to senior journalists, considering overall administrative, resource feasibility and other governing factors.”
The demand for a dedicated pension scheme for senior journalists has been pending for several years, with media bodies arguing that such a measure would provide much-needed social security to veteran journalists who have devoted decades to the profession.