Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 18 (EMN): In an endeavour to empower a vibrant fourth estate in Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio announced a new grant for journalism in his budget speech which was presented at the ongoing Assembly session on Thursday.
Rio, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that the ‘Chief Minister’s Grant for Journalism’ will strengthen democracy and thereby positively impact good governance.
He informed that the grant was slated to be implemented last year but could be introduced only this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The media plays the role of independent observer and keeps the government on its toes while also educating the masses with information, knowledge and just reportage,” he said.
He congratulated media in the state for its positive contribution, upholding the spirit of democracy and rendering commendable service, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This year, we will introduce special capacity building and exposure programmes for the media in collaboration with central agencies and international institutions under our innovative programme initiatives,” he added.
It may be recalled that the state's Accredited Journalists Operational Assistance Scheme was introduced in 2007 under Rio's chief ministership during the then DAN-I government. In 2018, the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) doubled the operational subsidy and ex-gratia for accredited journalists in Nagaland under the state's Accredited Private Journalists Operational Assistance Scheme.