Cashless Care for Journalists: Kadyan Puts Haryana Govt on the Spot

Rohtak/Chandigarh, September 1, 2026: Beri MLA and former Haryana Assembly Speaker Dr Raghubir Singh Kadyan raised a host of long-pending issues concerning journalists in the Assembly, seeking cashless medical treatment, an increase in pension, constitution of the Press Accreditation Committee and enhancement of medical assistance for ailing journalists.

Kadyan said journalists were currently entitled to medical assistance up to ₹2.5 lakh for life, which was inadequate in cases involving serious illnesses and prolonged treatment. He urged the government to extend comprehensive cashless medical facilities to journalists on the pattern of government employees.

He also sought implementation of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s announcement made during the Budget Session to increase assistance from the Journalist Welfare Fund for seriously ill journalists from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh. Despite the announcement, the enhanced assistance has not yet reached beneficiaries, he said.

Notably, Chief Minister had announced cashless medical facilities for journalists at a Haryana Union of Working Journalists convention in Rohtak around one-and-a-half years ago. Despite repeated representations by journalist bodies, the promise was yet to be implemented. The government had meanwhile extended cashless healthcare facilities to its employees last year, he said.

The Journalists are demanding the constitution of a fresh Press Accreditation Committee, stating that no such committee had been constituted for nearly 12 years. The previous committee formed during the tenure of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had not even been dissolved. Since constituting the committee would entail no additional financial burden on the government, there was little justification for the delay.

Haryana Journalists further sought an increase in the monthly pension of journalists from the existing ₹15,000 and a time-bound mechanism to resolve pension-related issues. The journalists in neighbouring states were receiving pensions of up to ₹20,000 a month. Describing journalists as an important link between the government and society, they urged the government to act promptly on the pending demands and implement its earlier announcements.