Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a new housing scheme for journalists, a move seen as wooing the media ahead of Assembly elections in the state.
The announcement comes days after more than 500 journalists living in government quarters were told to vacate them within 15 days, and will, in the words of the chief minister, fulfill their dream of 'Ek Ghar ho Apna'. It's the first of its kind in more than four and half years of his government.
Journalist organisations have been demanding this scheme for long saying it will help many journalists who are battling low wages and job insecurity. Housing schemes for journalists have been announced by previous chief ministers Mulayam Singh and Rajnath Singh - other states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh too have them - but it is the timing that has raised eyebrows.
Opposition parties see this as an attempt to strike a chord with journalists ahead of the state polls, with BJP's state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak saying," before housing, comes concerns about law and order".
Journalists however welcomed the move. The "debate on timing of the scheme is not relevant, Better late than never," says member of UP Accredited Journalists Committee Mudit Mudra, who also quickly point out that it will not however help the hundreds of journalists who have been asked to vacate government accommodation citing a recent Supreme Court order.
K Vikram Rao, president of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) says he had apprised the CM that the SC order is not applicable to journalists and that the government order should be cancelled.
UP officials however claim that the government is keen on welfare of journalists and that a Bill is being introduced in the ongoing session of Vidhan Sabha to regularize allotment of government houses to individuals, trusts and societies.
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